698 



BANTU NEGROES 



The following specimens of some of the songs of Uganda were kindly 

 collected for me by Mr. J. F. Cunningham: — 



Original. 

 A song of canoemen, when rowing or paddling 



Nsologumba* kanpitepite kunyanja 

 Nsologumba oluilaita kunyanja 

 Nsologumba kanpitepite kunyanja 

 Nsologumba leka npitepite kunyanja 

 Nsologumba. 



Song. 



Bagala kutabala tebagala kuyomba 



Bagala kutabala 



Nkuwaire omwenge siagala kuyomba 



Bagala kutabala 



Empingu yomuganda erigendevuma 



Bagala kutabala. 



Song. 



Laba nkwesibide nsituse nzinya 



Omutwe gunyinya mwanawatu 



Alirwa 



Laba nkwesibide nsituse omutwe 



Gunyinya mwanawatu, Alirwa. 



Song. 



Senzige zirya ebiyalo zabiryanga 

 Muzewa muleke nezerira kazita 

 Zirya ndagala kyotolya okiwamuno 

 Emvunza twaziwa bigere. 



Song. 



Ndiba nzewonye. 

 Ezemabenga ndiba nzewonye 

 Ndikubulira ndibatendera. 



Song for the Flute. (A Busoga Song.) 



Nkoba ntya bolese omugonero 



( twagwa mungira 



Nkoba, Waswa, mugonero. 



Translation. 



A man without helpers, let me go up and 



down on the lake. 

 A man without helpers, passing up and 



down on the lake. 

 A helperless man, let me go up and down 



on the lake. 

 A helperless man, let me go up and down 



on the lake. 



A man without helpers. 



Those who want to go raiding do not want 

 to quarrel (among themselves) ; 



They want to raid. 



I give you beer ; I do not want to quarrel. 



They want to fight. The fleet of canoes of 

 the Muganda hisses through the water 

 as it goes. 



They want to go raiding. 



Look, I have girded myself ; I have got 



up, I have danced. 

 My head is shaking, my child Alirwa. 

 Look, I have girded myself ; I have got 



up ; my head shakes, my child Alirwa. 



The locusts have eaten up the gardens, 



They have eaten them all up. 



Where have you all gone 2 You leave 



them to eat, but after all they only eat 



leaves. What you yourself do not eat 



you give your friend. 

 We have given our feet to the "jigger " 



(burrowing flea). 



If I escape from the wars of Mabenga, if 



I escape 

 I will tell you, I will praise you. 



What shall I say of those who brought a 



load 1 It fell off on the road. 

 Waswa, I say, a load. 



* A barren animal, Nsologumba ; hence a man with no children, no one to help 

 him, no retainers. He has to do all his paddling himself. 



