Nke a bụ ilu ma bụrụkwa okwu n'ala Igbo. Ihe ọpụtara riri
nne. Ị nwer'ike sụgharịa ya n'ụz'ọlemọle. Ọmụm'atụ ụfọdụ bụ:
- 'Nkwụcha abụrọ ụjọ.'
- 'Mberede nyịrị dike.'
- 'Eme ngwangwa emeghara ọdachi.'
Okwu ndịa n'egosi ka ndi-Igbo si eche echiche. Nwoke m'ọbụ
nwanyị bụ onye-Igbo ñụzụrụ ara anaghị eme ihe ọ bụla m'ọbụrụ n'ocheghi ya
eche. Ya ga'eji asị n'ụmụ Igbo n'eji anya agb'ogige ebe ọ bụla ha nọ, ihe ọ
bụla ha n'eme, nkata ọ bụla ha n'akpa.
Makana onye n'ekwughi k'ọha, e buru ya bufee obi nna ya. Ọzọ
dịka ibe ya wee bụrụ na-ijiji n'enweghi onye ndụmọdụ n'eso ozu aba n'ili. Iji
kwu eziokwu, onwekwazịrị ndị enyere ezi ndụmọdụ ma ha jụrụ ịnara ya.
Ajụjụ ị g'ajụ onwe gị taa bụ: abụ m ụkpana, k'abụ m ijiji?
Lezienu anya, ka m kọrọ gị ihe ụkpana na ijiji mere.
Ụkpana na Ijiji tiri n'aka k'amata onye nkpakpa ọga akpa
g'aka emetụta ndị mmadụ. Ụkpana sị n'ọlụ ọg'alụ n'ubi ji na ede g'aka emetụta
ndị mmadụ. ijiji sị mba, n'ọya ọga ekesa n'etiti ndị mmadụ g'eweta nkpochapụ
ndị mmadụ n'elu uwa.
Ụkpana wee malịte taba akwụkwọ ji, ede, egusi, ụgbọgụrụ,
ugu, akụ-ofe, n'akwụkwọ nrị nd'ọzọ ga. Mgbe ọtapịchara akwụkwọ nrị ndịa,
nnukwu ụganị wee dakwasa ụmụ mmadụ. Agụ bido ịtọpụ ụmụ mmadụ akwa n'ukwu. Onye
Ị hụrụ ọn'aga k'ọkụkọ ogbu-na-nkpọ. Ka nwoke, ka nwanyị, m'iriri,
m'ekpurekpu. Agụ gụrụ ha, m'ọdịghị onye nwụrụ maka ihi aguu.
Ijiji wee malite nke ya. Ọ banye na-opi ụlọ nsị n'ile n'ala
Igbo, ọdọ mmiri n'ile, and ọwa ide n'ile. O buru nje ukwu na nta were ya
dozie nri ndị mmadụ. Ka mmadụ n'eri n'amịcha aka, ka ha sịkwa otu a n'amịcha
ọya d'iche iche. O teghi aka, ụmụ mmadụ wee da n'ọya.
O nweghi onye ọ hụrụ hapụ: ma nwoke, ma nwanyị, m'iriri,
m'ekpurekpu. Mgbe n'adịghị ụmụ mmadụ wee bido n'ada sịsị k'ube jiri eji. Onye
daa, ọ bụrụ ọnwụ.
Ọ bụ ọtụ a k'anụ n'eghi agba sị tagbuo ụmụ mmadụ.
English
Translation
A Grasshopper that was carried away by 'a wild bird' is Deaf
This is a proverb and a saying
I Igbo land. It means many things. You can interpret it in many ways. Some
examples include:
- ‘Being ever ready is not because you are afraid.’
- ‘You cannot take a fighter by surprise.’
- ‘If things are done quickly, death is overcome’ (or a stich in time saves nine).
These words show how the Igbo
people think. Man or woman born of Igbo parent, who was breastfed do not do
anything without reflection. That is why Igbo people critically examine wherever
they are, whatever they do, and in any agreement, they are in.
Because, if you do not say your
limitations, you will miss your father’s homestead. Furthermore, a housefly
that does not have someone who advises it will follow the corpse to the grave. Honestly,
there are those who have good advisers, but they refused to take them.
The question you ask yourself
today is: Am I a grasshopper or a housefly? Look carefully, let me tell you what
a grasshopper and housefly did.
A grasshopper and housefly had
a bet to know whose malice would adversely affect human beings. The grasshopper
said that the kind of work it would do in yam, cocoyam and other human
vegetations would hurt them so much. The housefly said no. But the type of
disease it would infect human being would bring to their extinction from earth.
The grasshopper started first.
It ate every green vegetation: yam, cocoyam, melon, fruited pumpkin, and others.
When it had eaten up all those vegetations, a great famine befell human beings.
When you see a person move, they moved like a chicken stricken with bird flu.
It affected men, women, children, and even infants. They were hungry but were
not killed by hunger.
Then, the housefly started its
menace. It entered every pit toilet, gutter, reservoir and picked up every
disease it could encounter. It then decorated every human meal. When they ate
and licked their fingers, in like manner, they licked every kind of disease imaginable.
Suddenly, human beings fell
ill. Nobody was exempt: men, women, children, and infants. Immediately, human
beings started to fall like a ripe pear. Each fall was pronounced death.
This was how an animal that
has no teeth ate the entire human race.
Moral
teaching:
This story and proverb from Igbo culture carry deep and
multifaceted meanings. Here are some key morals and interpretations:
1.
Preparedness and Vigilance: The proverb “A grasshopper that was carried away by ‘a wild
bird’ is deaf” suggests the importance of being alert and prepared. It implies
that those who are not vigilant or aware of their surroundings may fall victim
to unforeseen dangers.
2.
Reflection and Critical Thinking: The story emphasizes the value of reflection and critical
thinking, as seen in the Igbo people’s approach to life. They carefully examine
their actions and decisions to avoid negative consequences.
3.
Consequences of Actions: The tale of the grasshopper and the housefly illustrates
how different actions can lead to varying degrees of harm. The grasshopper’s
actions caused famine, while the housefly’s actions led to disease and death.
This highlights the importance of considering the potential outcomes of one’s
actions.
4.
Heeding Advice:
The mention of the housefly that does not have someone to advise it, and thus
follows the corpse to the grave, underscores the importance of listening to
good advice. Ignoring wise counsel can lead to disastrous results.
5.
Self-awareness and Limitations: The proverb also touches on the importance of knowing and
acknowledging one’s limitations. Failing to do so can lead to missing out on
important aspects of life or making critical mistakes.
Overall, the story and proverb encourage mindfulness,
preparedness, and the importance of thoughtful decision-making. They remind us
to be aware of our actions and their potential impacts, to seek and heed good
advice, and to always be prepared for the unexpected.