PHSphynX_PHC
Honorary Poster
A Women's Prayer Song (Maasai)
A Woman's Prayer Song is a lament sung by childless women. It E×ρréššes the sorry state of (supposedly) barren women in Maasai society, their sorrow and their pain. The "branches" in line 3 are for the fence around the homestead. The "water" (in line 4) is carried home daily. While nursing a baby women allow their hair to grow: instead of being washed it is greased. And when the child is weaned its mother's head is again shaved, using milk in place of water. *******t women are given choice cuts of meat normally reserved for warriors.
O thou who is worshipped remember this debt
The debt that cows do not pay
Tree branches that I cut do not pay it
The water that I fetch for him does not pay it
If I go inside the well it does not pay
It is only the human child that would pay it
Chorus I come early to my God
O God who is worshipped I pray to thee
Thou who is prayed to with beer and with milk
Listen to what best suits womenfolk
It suits when long greasy hair is shaven
The beautiful one that is shaven with milk
My beloved one whom I pamper is never scolded
I look up at God's clouds
So that he could in short grant me repose
The beloved one of whom I have fed
I have entered the meat-camp like the warriors
The distinguished ox with the bell have I slaughtered
The one the owner swears by
There is none among our cattle that is favourite
I grant my beloved one the best of foods.
A Woman's Prayer Song is a lament sung by childless women. It E×ρréššes the sorry state of (supposedly) barren women in Maasai society, their sorrow and their pain. The "branches" in line 3 are for the fence around the homestead. The "water" (in line 4) is carried home daily. While nursing a baby women allow their hair to grow: instead of being washed it is greased. And when the child is weaned its mother's head is again shaved, using milk in place of water. *******t women are given choice cuts of meat normally reserved for warriors.
O thou who is worshipped remember this debt
The debt that cows do not pay
Tree branches that I cut do not pay it
The water that I fetch for him does not pay it
If I go inside the well it does not pay
It is only the human child that would pay it
Chorus I come early to my God
O God who is worshipped I pray to thee
Thou who is prayed to with beer and with milk
Listen to what best suits womenfolk
It suits when long greasy hair is shaven
The beautiful one that is shaven with milk
My beloved one whom I pamper is never scolded
I look up at God's clouds
So that he could in short grant me repose
The beloved one of whom I have fed
I have entered the meat-camp like the warriors
The distinguished ox with the bell have I slaughtered
The one the owner swears by
There is none among our cattle that is favourite
I grant my beloved one the best of foods.