This is a praise song about a friend back in Nyagweno's home area of Siaya. Ojir is a long deceased friend whose greatness, particularly his sexual prowess, was apparently unmatched.
Nyagweno starts the song by listing out Ojir's relatives and connection with various members of the village, presumably assuming that many of these people would be known to whoever is listening. Some might even be present when the song is performed.
In the nyatiti's heydey, village impresarios would sponsor nyatiti competitions, where great elder nyatiti players and younger ones would gather together to show off their licks to appreciative villagers from all over the area. One by one, they would play against one another, and the player which received the most money or fans would win some large prize like a cow or a bicycle or some other expensive object.
Nyagweno here refers to one of those competitions, this one in the Kakula area of Alego, by naming the participants and pointing out that he won "early in the morning" meaning that the competition went on until sunrise, at which point Nyagweno was deemed the winner. Nyatiti music, like American proto-rock and hip hop, tends to be self-praising, where the player's stature is self-inflated.
He then goes on to talk about Ojir, and his apparent success in seducing Omwambo, the daughter of Bunde through the poiwer of his "bicycle." Clearly, it isn't difficult to figure out what the bicycle refers to, but in this area of Kenya, a "bicycle" can be used as an adejctive to represent someone or something which is expensive and travels fast and smoothly. In Nyagweno's day, a bicycle was an incredibly expensive item so the word was used in the same sense that "digital" is today in Kenya, but the sexual connotations can't be avoided.
Apparently, everyone in the village knows about Ojir's bicycle and they plead with him to take care with it, hence the title "Tera mos," "go easy." Ojir receives no small amount of respect for this prowess with his bicycle.
Nyagweno then goes on to mention other people in the village in praise, most of whom were probably dead when this tune was originally performed. The tune concludes as a tribute to those who has already passed on.
"Teri, Tera Mos" is fairly typical of nyatiti songs, mxing praise for people in attendance or those known to them and salacious stories of sexual triumph. There is no real narrative structure in the Western sense. The timing and the structure, however, are known to people who listen to this kind of music. The closest analogy would be that of American hip hop, where shout outs, boasting and graphic sexual stories are well appreciated.
lyrics
Mano adwa paro Ojir osiepna machon, Mane yamo osemaya oonge chot demba chot Okello nyar Ondega gopondo kod Omogi nyar Bunde, wuoyino ne yamo osekawe oonge. - Now I want to remember my old friend Ojir, who is long gone. Ojir seduced Demba. He fucked Okello, the daughter of Ondega, Opondo. He took Omogi, the daughter of Bunde! Unfortunately, Ojir is dead and gone.
Wuod Okello yaye gochwicho Nyagweno- Son of Okello Yay! and Ochwicho Nyagweno.
Oduor kodero wuon Opondo - Oduor Kodero, father of Opondo.
Yaye yaye kawero Ojir Owele – I praise Ojiro’s Owele.
Owele Maradi Okinyo- Owele Marida Okinyo.
Ojiri ora nyakeo dala gokello ara ero? - Where is Ojiri, my nephew from Okello’s house?
Owele in Ora nyakeo dala gosidha Nyamenge - Owele, my nephew from Osidha Nyamenge’s home.
Kod Agutu Nyamenge Aroje aye yowe chot Okello ara ero - And here is Agutu Nyamenge Aroje, Okello’s lover.
Ndike buogo otoyo ni wang’ chieng owuok- His power scares the morning hyenas.
Dum kirore ngonyo nende ahango piny kure- I am on fire today!
Owende chot Okello Nyarodenga kata wuod Opondo nyamuhum, chot Opondo nyar Bunde- Owende seduced Okello, the daughter of Odenga and the son of Opondo and the daughter of Muhum. He fucked Opondo, daughter of Bunde.
Ayaye yaye Ojir gi Okello ero ero - Ojir and Okello!
Nyagweno ndalo moro Olang’ adhi Alego kakula - Once, I went to Alego Kakula, the place of the Kakula clan.
Ndalo moro Nyagweno adhi Alego kakula - I went to Alego Kakula.
Okello wuod Aluoch otwe gara- Okello, the son of Aluoch, had some gara.
Chieng’o nogo Nyamwo wuon Opondo otwe gara - Nyamwo, father of Opondo also had gara.
Chieng’o nogo Atera maka Awuawo otwe gara - Atera son of Awuawo had gara.
Chieng’o nogo Onyolo wuon Mathayo otwe gara - Onyolo, father of Mathayo had gara.
Chieng’o nogo Atera maka Awuawo bende otwe gara - Atera, son of Awuawo had gara, too.
Nyagweno otwe gara – Of course, Nyagweno also had gara.
Ochopo osirawende, Olang’ kochopo osirawende- In the morning, Olang’ in the morning.
Luo penja ni gonyo Olang’ nende obendo nadi? – Luo people ask me, “Olang’ how did it go?“
Wuon Okello olang’ nende oyombo osirawende- Olang’, the Father of Okello, won the competition early in the morning.
Ndalo moro Olang’ adhi Alego Mayero - I, Olang’ went to Alego Mayero.
Ndalo moro Nyagweno adhi Alego mayero - I, Nyagweno, went to Alego Mayero.
Oloo wuon Odhiambo otwe gara - Oloo, Odhiambo’s father, had gara.
Nyamuo wuod Agutu-opondo otwe gara - Nyamuo, Agutu’s father, had gara.
Achieng’ Wabunya otwe gara - Achieng’ Wabuso also had gara.
To Nyagweno otwe gara- And Nyagweno had gara.
Otundo osirawende Luo penjo gonyo nende Olang’ ower nadi? – In the morning, Luo people ask, how did Olang’ sing today?
Wuon Okello olang’ nende oyombo osirawende- Father of Okello, Olang’ won early in the morning.
Wuod Okello Odeda kata kod Opondo Jamua mwalimu chodo Omwombo nyar Bunde- Son of Okello Odeda and Opondo from Mua, you seduced Omwambo daughter of Bunde.
To ndike ber nene ochako omoso nyar bunde- And his bicycle is good, he greets the daughter of Bunde.
To ndike ber nene ochako omoso nyar bunde- And his bicycle is good, he greets the daughter of Bunde again.
Sama ndiga rigo Ojir pako ndiga wad rwadhe- When the bicycle is moving Ojir praises it like his bull.
Yawa Teri, Yawa teri tera mos- Oh Teri, Oh Teri go easy.
Yawa Teri, Yawa teri tera mos- Oh Teri, Oh Teri go easy.
Kar orido rido kanyo wuon Obera Teri tera mos- Obera’s father is on the slope, Teri go easy.
Kar idho got to Ojir pako ndiga tera mos- As it goes up the hill, Ojir praises the bicycle, go easy.
Kar Olo skul Loho bwana kapo ndiga tera mos- At school, Olo Loho Mr. praises the bicycle, go easy.
Kar kama ridore Ojir pako ndiga tera mos- On the slope, Ojir praises the bicycle, go easy.
Kama oidho got Ojir pako ndiga tera mos- As it goes up the hill, Ojir praises the bicycle, go easy.
Kama ndiga dhi matek to Ojir pako ndiga tera mos- As the bicycle speeds up, Ojir praises it, go easy.
Kama ndiga dhi nyamos to Ojir pako ndiga tera mos- As the bicycle slows down, Ojir praises it, go easy.
Kama ndiga ringo matek to Ojir pako ndiga tera mos- As the it speeds up, Ojir praises the bicycle, go easy.
Ee sama awero Ojir Owele- I praise Ojir Owele.
Kwano(pakruok) -Mano Ojir okeu go ogae wuon Ochuo, Owuna Naya- Yie-(Tera mos tera mos)
Kwano-Imosona Kaboge, Ere Peter ere Peter-Yie-En ka En ka – Kwano-Mano moa loka- Call-(Chant)-That’s Ojir, nephew of Dhaif, father of Ochuo, whom roared in Naya (Go easy, go easy), Regards to Kaboge! Where is Peter where is Peter (He’s here, he’s here) A son from another land.
Eii Onyash Onyash CHORUS- TERA MOS-(Go easy)
Ero, Mano Ojir chot Odemba, Chot Okello nyar Odinga kod Pondo nyar muhum , Chot Obok nyar Bunde ja chod nyiri mabeyo, Mano wuod kanyawuot ma ok mwuod chogo ratiro, Mano wuodgi Ogewe jamtoka, Mano wuod gi Oluoch wuon Oteng’o bende ma jamtoka, Mano wuodgi Othieno wuon Orindo ma jathum, Kata kod Othieno advocate marabet.
That’s Ojir who seduced Odeda, seduced Okech daughter of Odida and Pondo daughter of Obung’, seduced Obok daughter of Bunde who only seduces beautiful ladies, that’s son of Kanyawuok who doesn’t chew bones straight, brother of Ogewe, the motorist, brother of Oluoch father of Oteng’o also a motorist, that’s brother of Othieno father of Orindo the musician, and Othieno, a prominent advocate.
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