‘Wofe-Yared’, an interesting poem by Dr Fikre Tolossa. Click here to read >> [Amharic, pdf]
19 thoughts on “‘Wofe-Yared’ – poem by Fikre Tolossa”
I remember when I was young that my father never starts his journey to a distant place before he consults Wofe-Yared – a fortune-teller bird. If this fortune-teller bird sings on the right direction of the location where my father is standing, then my father starts his journey, assuming that his journey will be a successful one. On the other hand, if it sings on the left side of the location where my father is standing, then my father cancels his journey. This Wofe-Yared is also called Guramaile with a white and black color. It seems the composer of the poem (Gitim) is well versed in Ezil, Ararai, and Geez, the most common types of songs believed to have been composed by St. Yared, one of the Saints of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. When someone sings especially in Ararai, it makes you cry or makes you think about the good and the bad things in the past. It is like you are longing to see your loved ones or your country after you have been away for many years from your country or your people. The song Ararai makes you feel that way. When I sing in Ararai, I always cry!
I think the composer of this Gitim is expressing his sadness and wants someone to comfort him, so he goes and asks Wofe-Yared kindly to sing for him and to tell him his fortune; then can we conclude that the writer has no faith in God but tries to find comfort from the song of a wild bird instead of from the Christian Egziabhere, or from the Muslim Allah, or from the Jewish Yahweh? What is his position? Why doesn’t he directly go to God and ask him in prayer to help him and give him comfort and joy? My father consulted the bird because he was uneducated person, and up to that time he did not know how to read and sign his name even though he was a hero during the Italian war.
Assta (?)
I don’t think the poem is about the author’s faith per se. It is rather a description of a state of bewilderment. As you yourself indicated, the poet is striving for comfort that has become both illusory and possible; hence, the Ararai.
Any person in a state of confusion or bewilderment should ask God for comfort and guidance, not a bird, as the poet says to Wofe-Yared as his gud or edil-teller. Birds do not have the capability of telling a man’s futurity or fortune, and even a man himself does not know his futurity or destiny as the Prophet Jeremiah indicates: “I know O Lord, that man’s ways are not of his won choosing; not is it for a man to determine his course in life” (10:23). Yes, I believe the good Lord has created every living and none living things for our enjoyment, and he has created them for us, not us for them, but we should not worship them, and we should not ask them to tell us our fortune or futurity whether in a poem form or in an Ararai song.
Assta,
You are right. The point, however, is not if you are right and the poet wrong but what the poet wanted to put across. In other words, the poet is stating a condition using the metaphor of Wofe-Yared. For all it matters, he may not even believe in a bird telling him his destiny, etc. So you need not read your ideas into his narration. That is why I fear you may be missing the essence of the poem.
The poem is beautifully done. It is an art,period! Dr.Tolossa has the right to express what he feel and think in the way he want.
Ato Assta,I was wondering about the three names of God U trying to preach him and all of us.I think you better go and learn about the name of God from the bible if you have one by accident and save yourself from mixing up God’s name in the future.
It seems you are a lost and a confused creature that you do not have any knowledge that God has been worshipped throughout the ages in different deity names. For example, in Judaism he has such beautiful names as Yahweh, Jehovah, Joshus, Elohim, El shaddai, Adonai, Lord of Hosts, King of kings, and many other names.
In the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, he is called Egziabihier, Amlak, Eyesus, Amanuel, Medhanialem, Niguse-Negest, and so on. In fact, in every religion you can find different names attributed to God. He may have so many names but only one deity, one God, one Allah, one Wako, one Gofta, not many gods.
However, it is your prerogative not to learn the word of God from me, but you have no right to prevent others from learning the word of God I preach.
You boastfully said: “… u trying to preach him and all of us.” The point is you do not represent any other person but yourself only and your children if you are lucky to have some, so don’t say “us,” Shenkore; just say “me.” Learn humility and modesty from the Holy Bible, and never call yourself “us.” The poet can defend his poem because you have no clue about poem whether it is good or bad; what do you know about Ezil, or Ararai; you have never been to Bethlehem to study Themeduga and Duga, and you better leave such things to the learned Ethiopian Church Fathers.
You pretend you know the Bible, but you do not know you are a charlatan as far as your knowledge about the Bible is concerned; I advise you to learn the Bible from any one: it can be from Jews; it can be from Muslims; it can be from atheists, because the Bible is well-read all over the world; some people may not believe in it like you, but they can still read it and enjoy reading it.
Take care and ask someone to help you understand the Scriptures.
I understand the metaphor, the wax, the gold, the contrast and the comparison that a poem presents to the world; many people express their sorrows, joys, love affairs, and their victories in a battle field in poem, but the fundamental structure of a poem is exaggeration and lies, and most poets are victims of exaggeration and lies. What will happen if poets tell the truth as it is; for example, if someone feeds his guests inferior food, the poet would say: “What a delicious food!” instead of telling the truth that the food is very bad. If it is a turkey, say it is a turkey; if it is a chicken, say it is a chicken; that is all what I’m trying to say. Always tell the truth!
Assta Listen, what I said was do not mix the name of god. If you are christian just tell people about the name of god from the Bible and know the idea and the history behind the name, then you can tell,OK.
And again individuals right of belife should be respected ,so respect the writer belief and learn something from the poem because it is an art and Wondm-Gasha is an artist Ok!
Please Assta, show me few lines how well you can write poem better than Dr.Tolossa?and focus on the poem than religion.
Every religion has a particular or a generic name for God and a meaning, and that name of God may not be in your bible or in my Bible, but still it is the name of God as mine and yours if you have one.
For example, my God’s name (I do not know yours) is called “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus3;14), and this is not the only name of my God or my “I AM WHO I AM” ; there are other names for my God such as “Lord God,” (Exodus 20:7), “Michael” (Daniel :12;1), “Peace” (Judges 6:24), “Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1), “Banner” (Exodus 17:15), “Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6), and “Rock” (2 Samuel 23:3), and these are just a few among hundreds of my God’s name in my Holy Bible. Each of these names has different meanings but the same attribution to one God. Go and read the Scriptures and find out why God is called a “Rock,” a “Banner,” and a “Shepherd”; then you will find some satisfaction for your soul.
I have never disparaged the writer’s or the artist’s belief because I do not know whether he believes in God or not, and his poem does not tell me that, and that is why I raised a question if he believes in God, and I want to hear from him, not from you because you do not represent him, and I want you to read #10 about what I feel about a poem in general.
You said: “If you are Christian just tell people about the name of god from the Bible….” I don’t have to tell you who I am, but I will tell you this that the Christian Bible does not tell all the names given to God by many other religions apart from Judaism and Christianity.
If you hear someone say “Allah” and you could not find this beautiful name in the Bible, it does not mean that the name “Allah” is not the name of God. In fact, it is the name of God mentioned every day, every five hours in every Mosque and in every Muslims’ house by billions of Muslims in the world.
To your information, I have never said that I would write a poem better than the person who wrote “Wofe-Yard”; if you want to read some of my poetries, you are welcome to do so, but you have to first learn the Geez language, and my poetry is not better than any other person, and I have never said I’m a better poet. I think you enjoy inciting fight rather than making peace, and that is why you said: “…show me few lines how well you can write poem better than Dr. Tolossa?” I can easily infer from your statement that you want to create hatred between the writer and me, and that is why I said that I want to hear from him, not from you at all. You are a narrow minded and a pugnacious person. You are like the person in the Amharic saying: “Tinish yalat, Enkilf yelat.”
These are some of my poetries:
Eésrir he debre-kerbe theimine-advar tisane;
Kinfe keme rigib menume wohavene;
Wokeme eihigig fikire the meharkmune;
Libe welibuna Egziabher yalebwene.
These are just portions of some of my poetries, and I hope you have learned something from them or nothing at all. Good Luck!
I am sorry Assta has hijacked the converstion. The point here is not whether poet Fikre believes in God or not. The point is that Fikre tried to present a state of mind (his or someone else’s) and in so doing makes true statements (in poetic verses).
The fact that Assta is well-versed in Geez or others believe in the God he believes in is irrelevant to the discussion.
Assta also comes across as someone who has answers to every issue under the sun. Reading his responses I am beginning to have my doubts if he has appreciation for good writing at all.
I have been monitoring your discussion provoked by my poem, “Wofe-Yared” with a great interest and amusement. I have been impressed by the level of artistic maturity and criticism you people have demonstrated. No, dear Assta, I am not displeased with you in any way. You have every right to raise a question about an author’s (a poet’s, in this case) world outlook (religious outlook in this instance), but this doesn’t necessarily make you right in raising such a question. A good writer shouldn’t expose outrightly or mixup his own religious tendecy and political views while treating a subject as a work of art. He should simply allow the subject he is handling to flow freely and run its own logical course and conclusion, without marring it with his/her own religious outlooks, political bias, social mores and other subjective feelings, emotions and feelings.
Wofe-yared’s case is very simple. The poet is sad and he sees or thinks of a song bird that will elate his spirit with a song. He begs the bird to sing for him and comfort him, without worshiping the bird as a deity. Dear Assta, don’t you ever listen to music? Why do you listen to music, if you do, and I am sure you do listen to some sort of music, be it worldly or spiritual? Think of it. Do you worship the singer or the musical instrument which brings you the music. I am sure you don’t. If you ever listen to music, you too, are not alway depending on God for comfort and solace. Right? When you trun on or play a musical instrument, you are looking for comfort or amusement from the music. Are you worshiping the musical instrument or sterio, etc.? I don’t think so. In my case, it is a bird that I ask to sing and comfort me, instead of a musical instrument. Am I rejecting the comfort of God? Not necessarily. I have moments when I ask God for solace. It is at a time when nothing else helps. I go to God as a last resort. Do I believe in God? Yes, I do, for I will be a fool if I deny the exisence of God, since I didn’t create myself. I have a Ceater, of course. The Bible says, “The fool said in his heart, ‘there is no God’.” However, unless my poem has some relevance with God, I don’t declare my religious conviction directly in my artisitc pursuit. I might do so indirectly; but not point blank. For example, I have written two unpublished books of poetic drama that deal with God. In them you could see that I beleive in God, beause, the naure of those artistic works, compels me to reveal I believe in God.
By the way, Ato Assta, your father must know soemthing you didn’t know about the bird he used to watch before he travelled somewhere. God speaks sometimes, through animals and nature. I don’t think your father woshiped the bird. He simply discerned the message the bird was conveying to him. People of old knew things better than we do, even though they might not have gone to school. Just because they didn’t go to school,it didn’t mean they were totally ignoramous. Our generation reflects lots of supidity and ignorance, despite its claim of being educated.
I wish you could translate your Geez poem into Amharic for all of us to understand.
In conclusion, I thank you all for taking your time to discuss my poem from your own perspectives.
I know very well from my heart of hearts that well-educated people like you never gets angry, never gets displeased, never gets frustrated, and never gets disappointed by the questions, good, or bad, logical or illogical, their critiques raise. They didn’t get this art of dealing with people when they were at school; this is just a special gift from God to them. I envy such people!
I have never doubted the beauty, the new style, the depth and width of your “Wofe-Yared,” and after I have read it with difficulty because I’m forgetting my Amharic language, I raised a question about the author’s belief, not about the validity of the poem per se because I already know “Wofe-Yared” is one of the most beautiful poem I have never read for a long time. When I raised that question, some people, including Shenkore, were very angry, and I told Shenkore that I wanted to talk to the author of the poem, and it is kind of you to answer my question.
If I had not raised that question, I could have missed your educated response; it is not really my business to ask someone’ faith; it is your beautiful poem that forced me to ask your faith in God, and I’m glad you believe in God, and also that you know the Scriptures very well. I’m proud of my country that produces such talented and highly educated people like the author of “Wolfe-Yared.”
Dr. Fikre, your poem reminds me the difficult situations the Israelites faced when they were in captivity in Babylon, (now Iraq), and I wish I could sing it to you. It is a famous song sang by the highly educated Ethiopian Church students who specialized in Digua:
“By the river of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy” (Psalm 137:1-6).
I hope your two unpublished poetic drama books that deal with God will be published so that the public could read them and benefit from them.
My Geez-teacher had put me in charge of all his students until he came from his long journey through Amba-Gishen (Debre-Kerbe), Wollo to Addis Ababa. I begged him to take me with him to Amba-Gishen to Addis Ababa, but he said that I was too young to cross the desert bare footed. He wanted me to stay with the rest of the other students, teaching them Kine until he returned. Though young, I had already completed my Kine and ready to recruit my own students. Besides Kine, I had learned from him the tirguim of Woodasie-Mariam, Kidasie-Mariam, Timhirte-Hibuat, the psalm, 1st, 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings. There was nothing left for me to stay there. So after my teacher left, I called all the students in the evening time and told them that I was leaving. They were in tears! During that night, I composed the poetry I sent you. It was like a farewell speech:
Who can give me the wing of the dove so that I can easily soar and land safely on that beautiful hill called Debre-Kerbe?
And in order not to forget the love you have taught me,
May the good Lord give me the heart of hearts.
When I translate Kine into English, the Kine looses its beauty. It is too bad!
You are absolutely right that some birds know something that we do not know. My father, guided by special birds, also used to collect wild honey from the wood.
I assure you I sometimes appreciate good writing or the best poem if it deserves my appreciation; if I simply praise a writing that has not interested me, then I am just flattering the author, which is not fair either to the author or me. Be careful what you are saying now: I have never said that I have the answers for everything in the world; I wish I had, but I don’t.
I don’t mean to hijack the conversation but to expand it to something else deeper than the present discussion, i.e, belief in God, who created the birds and all other living things; I know the poet is not talking about religion in his poem but I wanted to know if there is a connection between “Wofe-Yared” and belief in God. That is all!
Dear Assta, I am sorry if I offended you.I was trying to stop commenting when I see your response but now Dr.Tolossa helped us to understand each other.Thank U Wondim-Gasha!
dear assta, as soon as I read your first comment I was sad by your response.Why? because In my understanding the poem may not related direct to Dr.Tolossa but as an artist he can present what he see or learn in practical world. I found the poem present real and practical .The poem is touchy,It present some body’s feeling such us mine who practically at a time sad by what is going on around and by what I see in every day life,my expectation was encouragement. soft comment .
Assta, you seems like the person of god.Right ? Do you think the primary response for somebody whose heart is full of sadness to focus on the mistake rather than encouragement and if necessary the smooth comment from soft heart to heal the person.
and again as an artist I believe he can use anything to express what he want to say. I believe as a reader we have to separate the message from the object he use to write.My brother Assta, this was my whole point.
next time when you write my name add Ete; it is help full to understand each other.My name Ete-Shenkore instead of only Shenkore.
Let me add one thing next time when you see or meet somebody who is very sad even if his sadness came from his mistake.Your first reaction should be to encourage the person and to help him/her to heal and the next step to correct the mistake; however, in Dr.Tolossa wofe-Yared in my view I did not find any mistake but you can see and comment but to follow the right step is very helpfull.
Dear assta, I cant understand your Geez poem to appreciate it,so it is good to use the language we all understand each other.
We are all Ethiopians, one family, and working together to improve the lives of our other Ethiopian brothers and sisters who are suffering under an oppressive regime.
My dear Ete-Shenkore,, I’m not offended at all by your constructive criticism to the question I raised, which has nothing to do with that beautiful poem, and I know the poet has accomplished something great and memorable.
You know, sometimes, great poet do not believe in God, and since Yared who composed the Ethiopian Orthodox Church songs was himself a believer in God, I just wanted to know if this great poet, Dr. Tolossa, also believes in God. Indeed, as he explained to me, he too believes in God, and his answer has satisfied me as well as his touching poem.
You are right, my dear, if a murderer comes to me for help, I must try to comfort him first instead of telling him that murder is a great sin, and that he is going to hell. After he has settled and calmed down and has put his confidence on me, then I will tell him step by step the consequences of killing a person, and what he has to do to pay the price for murdering another human being.
I’m so sorry for not adding Ete to your beautiful name Shenkore; I think, if I’m not wrong, Ete means in Geez language Eíhitie, which means my sister, and Shenkore means sweet sugar. Am I right?
Concerning writing poem in Amharic, I may do it in the future, but at the same time I have to promote the Geez language which has become like endangered specie. I hate to see such a lovely language disappearing. I was surprised few years ago when I met few Chaldean girls who spoke to me in Geez language. Chaldea is in Iran where Abraham came from, and Ur is located there.
19 thoughts on “‘Wofe-Yared’ – poem by Fikre Tolossa”
I remember when I was young that my father never starts his journey to a distant place before he consults Wofe-Yared – a fortune-teller bird. If this fortune-teller bird sings on the right direction of the location where my father is standing, then my father starts his journey, assuming that his journey will be a successful one. On the other hand, if it sings on the left side of the location where my father is standing, then my father cancels his journey. This Wofe-Yared is also called Guramaile with a white and black color. It seems the composer of the poem (Gitim) is well versed in Ezil, Ararai, and Geez, the most common types of songs believed to have been composed by St. Yared, one of the Saints of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. When someone sings especially in Ararai, it makes you cry or makes you think about the good and the bad things in the past. It is like you are longing to see your loved ones or your country after you have been away for many years from your country or your people. The song Ararai makes you feel that way. When I sing in Ararai, I always cry!
I think the composer of this Gitim is expressing his sadness and wants someone to comfort him, so he goes and asks Wofe-Yared kindly to sing for him and to tell him his fortune; then can we conclude that the writer has no faith in God but tries to find comfort from the song of a wild bird instead of from the Christian Egziabhere, or from the Muslim Allah, or from the Jewish Yahweh? What is his position? Why doesn’t he directly go to God and ask him in prayer to help him and give him comfort and joy? My father consulted the bird because he was uneducated person, and up to that time he did not know how to read and sign his name even though he was a hero during the Italian war.
Wow,
It is Sweet
It is wonderful
It is Amezing
It is deep & really interesting Poem.
Good job Dr.Fikre
Simply beautiful. Thanks Dr. Tolossa.
Assta (?)
I don’t think the poem is about the author’s faith per se. It is rather a description of a state of bewilderment. As you yourself indicated, the poet is striving for comfort that has become both illusory and possible; hence, the Ararai.
Dear m2008,
Any person in a state of confusion or bewilderment should ask God for comfort and guidance, not a bird, as the poet says to Wofe-Yared as his gud or edil-teller. Birds do not have the capability of telling a man’s futurity or fortune, and even a man himself does not know his futurity or destiny as the Prophet Jeremiah indicates: “I know O Lord, that man’s ways are not of his won choosing; not is it for a man to determine his course in life” (10:23). Yes, I believe the good Lord has created every living and none living things for our enjoyment, and he has created them for us, not us for them, but we should not worship them, and we should not ask them to tell us our fortune or futurity whether in a poem form or in an Ararai song.
It realy reminds me my literature classes like the long verses of Pushkin.wonderful poet!
Assta,
You are right. The point, however, is not if you are right and the poet wrong but what the poet wanted to put across. In other words, the poet is stating a condition using the metaphor of Wofe-Yared. For all it matters, he may not even believe in a bird telling him his destiny, etc. So you need not read your ideas into his narration. That is why I fear you may be missing the essence of the poem.
Hello,Assta
The poem is beautifully done. It is an art,period! Dr.Tolossa has the right to express what he feel and think in the way he want.
Ato Assta,I was wondering about the three names of God U trying to preach him and all of us.I think you better go and learn about the name of God from the bible if you have one by accident and save yourself from mixing up God’s name in the future.
Good job Wondm-Gasha!
(#8) Ete-Shenkore,
It seems you are a lost and a confused creature that you do not have any knowledge that God has been worshipped throughout the ages in different deity names. For example, in Judaism he has such beautiful names as Yahweh, Jehovah, Joshus, Elohim, El shaddai, Adonai, Lord of Hosts, King of kings, and many other names.
In the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, he is called Egziabihier, Amlak, Eyesus, Amanuel, Medhanialem, Niguse-Negest, and so on. In fact, in every religion you can find different names attributed to God. He may have so many names but only one deity, one God, one Allah, one Wako, one Gofta, not many gods.
However, it is your prerogative not to learn the word of God from me, but you have no right to prevent others from learning the word of God I preach.
You boastfully said: “… u trying to preach him and all of us.” The point is you do not represent any other person but yourself only and your children if you are lucky to have some, so don’t say “us,” Shenkore; just say “me.” Learn humility and modesty from the Holy Bible, and never call yourself “us.” The poet can defend his poem because you have no clue about poem whether it is good or bad; what do you know about Ezil, or Ararai; you have never been to Bethlehem to study Themeduga and Duga, and you better leave such things to the learned Ethiopian Church Fathers.
You pretend you know the Bible, but you do not know you are a charlatan as far as your knowledge about the Bible is concerned; I advise you to learn the Bible from any one: it can be from Jews; it can be from Muslims; it can be from atheists, because the Bible is well-read all over the world; some people may not believe in it like you, but they can still read it and enjoy reading it.
Take care and ask someone to help you understand the Scriptures.
My dear Anon,
I understand the metaphor, the wax, the gold, the contrast and the comparison that a poem presents to the world; many people express their sorrows, joys, love affairs, and their victories in a battle field in poem, but the fundamental structure of a poem is exaggeration and lies, and most poets are victims of exaggeration and lies. What will happen if poets tell the truth as it is; for example, if someone feeds his guests inferior food, the poet would say: “What a delicious food!” instead of telling the truth that the food is very bad. If it is a turkey, say it is a turkey; if it is a chicken, say it is a chicken; that is all what I’m trying to say. Always tell the truth!
Dear Assta,
There is on say in Amharic.
“Kebero Besew Ej Yamir
Siyizut Yidenager”
Assta Listen, what I said was do not mix the name of god. If you are christian just tell people about the name of god from the Bible and know the idea and the history behind the name, then you can tell,OK.
And again individuals right of belife should be respected ,so respect the writer belief and learn something from the poem because it is an art and Wondm-Gasha is an artist Ok!
Please Assta, show me few lines how well you can write poem better than Dr.Tolossa?and focus on the poem than religion.
Ete-Shenkore,
Every religion has a particular or a generic name for God and a meaning, and that name of God may not be in your bible or in my Bible, but still it is the name of God as mine and yours if you have one.
For example, my God’s name (I do not know yours) is called “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus3;14), and this is not the only name of my God or my “I AM WHO I AM” ; there are other names for my God such as “Lord God,” (Exodus 20:7), “Michael” (Daniel :12;1), “Peace” (Judges 6:24), “Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1), “Banner” (Exodus 17:15), “Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6), and “Rock” (2 Samuel 23:3), and these are just a few among hundreds of my God’s name in my Holy Bible. Each of these names has different meanings but the same attribution to one God. Go and read the Scriptures and find out why God is called a “Rock,” a “Banner,” and a “Shepherd”; then you will find some satisfaction for your soul.
I have never disparaged the writer’s or the artist’s belief because I do not know whether he believes in God or not, and his poem does not tell me that, and that is why I raised a question if he believes in God, and I want to hear from him, not from you because you do not represent him, and I want you to read #10 about what I feel about a poem in general.
You said: “If you are Christian just tell people about the name of god from the Bible….” I don’t have to tell you who I am, but I will tell you this that the Christian Bible does not tell all the names given to God by many other religions apart from Judaism and Christianity.
If you hear someone say “Allah” and you could not find this beautiful name in the Bible, it does not mean that the name “Allah” is not the name of God. In fact, it is the name of God mentioned every day, every five hours in every Mosque and in every Muslims’ house by billions of Muslims in the world.
To your information, I have never said that I would write a poem better than the person who wrote “Wofe-Yard”; if you want to read some of my poetries, you are welcome to do so, but you have to first learn the Geez language, and my poetry is not better than any other person, and I have never said I’m a better poet. I think you enjoy inciting fight rather than making peace, and that is why you said: “…show me few lines how well you can write poem better than Dr. Tolossa?” I can easily infer from your statement that you want to create hatred between the writer and me, and that is why I said that I want to hear from him, not from you at all. You are a narrow minded and a pugnacious person. You are like the person in the Amharic saying: “Tinish yalat, Enkilf yelat.”
These are some of my poetries:
Eésrir he debre-kerbe theimine-advar tisane;
Kinfe keme rigib menume wohavene;
Wokeme eihigig fikire the meharkmune;
Libe welibuna Egziabher yalebwene.
These are just portions of some of my poetries, and I hope you have learned something from them or nothing at all. Good Luck!
I am sorry Assta has hijacked the converstion. The point here is not whether poet Fikre believes in God or not. The point is that Fikre tried to present a state of mind (his or someone else’s) and in so doing makes true statements (in poetic verses).
The fact that Assta is well-versed in Geez or others believe in the God he believes in is irrelevant to the discussion.
Assta also comes across as someone who has answers to every issue under the sun. Reading his responses I am beginning to have my doubts if he has appreciation for good writing at all.
Dear Assta, Ete-shnkore and all:
I have been monitoring your discussion provoked by my poem, “Wofe-Yared” with a great interest and amusement. I have been impressed by the level of artistic maturity and criticism you people have demonstrated. No, dear Assta, I am not displeased with you in any way. You have every right to raise a question about an author’s (a poet’s, in this case) world outlook (religious outlook in this instance), but this doesn’t necessarily make you right in raising such a question. A good writer shouldn’t expose outrightly or mixup his own religious tendecy and political views while treating a subject as a work of art. He should simply allow the subject he is handling to flow freely and run its own logical course and conclusion, without marring it with his/her own religious outlooks, political bias, social mores and other subjective feelings, emotions and feelings.
Wofe-yared’s case is very simple. The poet is sad and he sees or thinks of a song bird that will elate his spirit with a song. He begs the bird to sing for him and comfort him, without worshiping the bird as a deity. Dear Assta, don’t you ever listen to music? Why do you listen to music, if you do, and I am sure you do listen to some sort of music, be it worldly or spiritual? Think of it. Do you worship the singer or the musical instrument which brings you the music. I am sure you don’t. If you ever listen to music, you too, are not alway depending on God for comfort and solace. Right? When you trun on or play a musical instrument, you are looking for comfort or amusement from the music. Are you worshiping the musical instrument or sterio, etc.? I don’t think so. In my case, it is a bird that I ask to sing and comfort me, instead of a musical instrument. Am I rejecting the comfort of God? Not necessarily. I have moments when I ask God for solace. It is at a time when nothing else helps. I go to God as a last resort. Do I believe in God? Yes, I do, for I will be a fool if I deny the exisence of God, since I didn’t create myself. I have a Ceater, of course. The Bible says, “The fool said in his heart, ‘there is no God’.” However, unless my poem has some relevance with God, I don’t declare my religious conviction directly in my artisitc pursuit. I might do so indirectly; but not point blank. For example, I have written two unpublished books of poetic drama that deal with God. In them you could see that I beleive in God, beause, the naure of those artistic works, compels me to reveal I believe in God.
By the way, Ato Assta, your father must know soemthing you didn’t know about the bird he used to watch before he travelled somewhere. God speaks sometimes, through animals and nature. I don’t think your father woshiped the bird. He simply discerned the message the bird was conveying to him. People of old knew things better than we do, even though they might not have gone to school. Just because they didn’t go to school,it didn’t mean they were totally ignoramous. Our generation reflects lots of supidity and ignorance, despite its claim of being educated.
I wish you could translate your Geez poem into Amharic for all of us to understand.
In conclusion, I thank you all for taking your time to discuss my poem from your own perspectives.
Fratenally,
Fikre Tolossa
Dear Dr. Fikre Toloss,
I know very well from my heart of hearts that well-educated people like you never gets angry, never gets displeased, never gets frustrated, and never gets disappointed by the questions, good, or bad, logical or illogical, their critiques raise. They didn’t get this art of dealing with people when they were at school; this is just a special gift from God to them. I envy such people!
I have never doubted the beauty, the new style, the depth and width of your “Wofe-Yared,” and after I have read it with difficulty because I’m forgetting my Amharic language, I raised a question about the author’s belief, not about the validity of the poem per se because I already know “Wofe-Yared” is one of the most beautiful poem I have never read for a long time. When I raised that question, some people, including Shenkore, were very angry, and I told Shenkore that I wanted to talk to the author of the poem, and it is kind of you to answer my question.
If I had not raised that question, I could have missed your educated response; it is not really my business to ask someone’ faith; it is your beautiful poem that forced me to ask your faith in God, and I’m glad you believe in God, and also that you know the Scriptures very well. I’m proud of my country that produces such talented and highly educated people like the author of “Wolfe-Yared.”
Dr. Fikre, your poem reminds me the difficult situations the Israelites faced when they were in captivity in Babylon, (now Iraq), and I wish I could sing it to you. It is a famous song sang by the highly educated Ethiopian Church students who specialized in Digua:
“By the river of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy” (Psalm 137:1-6).
I hope your two unpublished poetic drama books that deal with God will be published so that the public could read them and benefit from them.
My Geez-teacher had put me in charge of all his students until he came from his long journey through Amba-Gishen (Debre-Kerbe), Wollo to Addis Ababa. I begged him to take me with him to Amba-Gishen to Addis Ababa, but he said that I was too young to cross the desert bare footed. He wanted me to stay with the rest of the other students, teaching them Kine until he returned. Though young, I had already completed my Kine and ready to recruit my own students. Besides Kine, I had learned from him the tirguim of Woodasie-Mariam, Kidasie-Mariam, Timhirte-Hibuat, the psalm, 1st, 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings. There was nothing left for me to stay there. So after my teacher left, I called all the students in the evening time and told them that I was leaving. They were in tears! During that night, I composed the poetry I sent you. It was like a farewell speech:
Who can give me the wing of the dove so that I can easily soar and land safely on that beautiful hill called Debre-Kerbe?
And in order not to forget the love you have taught me,
May the good Lord give me the heart of hearts.
When I translate Kine into English, the Kine looses its beauty. It is too bad!
You are absolutely right that some birds know something that we do not know. My father, guided by special birds, also used to collect wild honey from the wood.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.
My dear mm,
I assure you I sometimes appreciate good writing or the best poem if it deserves my appreciation; if I simply praise a writing that has not interested me, then I am just flattering the author, which is not fair either to the author or me. Be careful what you are saying now: I have never said that I have the answers for everything in the world; I wish I had, but I don’t.
I don’t mean to hijack the conversation but to expand it to something else deeper than the present discussion, i.e, belief in God, who created the birds and all other living things; I know the poet is not talking about religion in his poem but I wanted to know if there is a connection between “Wofe-Yared” and belief in God. That is all!
Dear Assta, I am sorry if I offended you.I was trying to stop commenting when I see your response but now Dr.Tolossa helped us to understand each other.Thank U Wondim-Gasha!
dear assta, as soon as I read your first comment I was sad by your response.Why? because In my understanding the poem may not related direct to Dr.Tolossa but as an artist he can present what he see or learn in practical world. I found the poem present real and practical .The poem is touchy,It present some body’s feeling such us mine who practically at a time sad by what is going on around and by what I see in every day life,my expectation was encouragement. soft comment .
Assta, you seems like the person of god.Right ? Do you think the primary response for somebody whose heart is full of sadness to focus on the mistake rather than encouragement and if necessary the smooth comment from soft heart to heal the person.
and again as an artist I believe he can use anything to express what he want to say. I believe as a reader we have to separate the message from the object he use to write.My brother Assta, this was my whole point.
next time when you write my name add Ete; it is help full to understand each other.My name Ete-Shenkore instead of only Shenkore.
Dear Assta,
Let me add one thing next time when you see or meet somebody who is very sad even if his sadness came from his mistake.Your first reaction should be to encourage the person and to help him/her to heal and the next step to correct the mistake; however, in Dr.Tolossa wofe-Yared in my view I did not find any mistake but you can see and comment but to follow the right step is very helpfull.
Dear assta, I cant understand your Geez poem to appreciate it,so it is good to use the language we all understand each other.
Dear Ete-Shenkore,
We are all Ethiopians, one family, and working together to improve the lives of our other Ethiopian brothers and sisters who are suffering under an oppressive regime.
My dear Ete-Shenkore,, I’m not offended at all by your constructive criticism to the question I raised, which has nothing to do with that beautiful poem, and I know the poet has accomplished something great and memorable.
You know, sometimes, great poet do not believe in God, and since Yared who composed the Ethiopian Orthodox Church songs was himself a believer in God, I just wanted to know if this great poet, Dr. Tolossa, also believes in God. Indeed, as he explained to me, he too believes in God, and his answer has satisfied me as well as his touching poem.
You are right, my dear, if a murderer comes to me for help, I must try to comfort him first instead of telling him that murder is a great sin, and that he is going to hell. After he has settled and calmed down and has put his confidence on me, then I will tell him step by step the consequences of killing a person, and what he has to do to pay the price for murdering another human being.
I’m so sorry for not adding Ete to your beautiful name Shenkore; I think, if I’m not wrong, Ete means in Geez language Eíhitie, which means my sister, and Shenkore means sweet sugar. Am I right?
Concerning writing poem in Amharic, I may do it in the future, but at the same time I have to promote the Geez language which has become like endangered specie. I hate to see such a lovely language disappearing. I was surprised few years ago when I met few Chaldean girls who spoke to me in Geez language. Chaldea is in Iran where Abraham came from, and Ur is located there.
Thank you for your advice and comment.
Assta B. Gettu