TOJU IWA RE ORE MI,CARE FOR YOUR VALUES, MY FRIEND

 TOJU IWA RE ORE MI

(Written by the late J.F. ODUNJO in his popular book series ‘ALAWIYE’)

Toju iwa re, ore mi;

Ola a ma si lo n'ile eni,

Ewa a si ma si l'ara enia,

Olowo oni 'nd’olosi b'o d'ola.

Okun l'ola; okun n’igbi oro,

Gbogbo won l'o nsi lo n’ile eni;

Sugbon iwa ni m’ba ni de sare’e.

Owo ko je nkan fun ni,

Iwa l'ewa omo enia.

Bi o l'owo bi o ko ni’wa nko?

Tani je f'inu tan e ba s'ohun rere?

Tabi ki o je obirin rogbodo;

Ti o ba jina si'wa ti eda nfe,

Tani je fe o s'ile bi aya?

Tabi ki o je onijibiti enia;

Bi o tile mo iwe amodaju,

Tani je gbe'se aje fun o se?

Toju Iwa re, ore mi,

Iwa ko si, eko d'egbe;

Gbogbo aiye ni 'nfe 'ni t'o je rere.

CARE FOR YOUR VALUES, MY FRIEND

A YORUBA POEM OF J. F. ODUNJO

Care for your values (character), my friend:

Wealth often departs a home, 

Beauty will fade from the human body 

Rich people today may become very poor tomorrow. 

Wealth and riches are restless as the sea.

They soon depart from a household 

But your values continues with you to the graveside. 

Money has no value for you

Your character is the beauty of your humanity.

If you have riches without character, 

Who dare confide in you in doing good? 

Even if you are an amazingly attractive lady, 

If you are far off values appreciated by the society,

Who dare marries you as a wife? 

Or if you are a crooked fellow (A dupe or scam) 

Even if you are vast in knowledge, of

Who dare engage you in profitable business? 

Care for your values, 

my friend,

Good character (manners) surpasses equation of knowledge,

Society prefers only people of good virtues.

Translated to English by Late Rt Hon Kehinde Ayoola