One Wife For One Man by Frank Aig-Imoukhuede

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I done try go church, I done go for court

Dem all day talk about di ‘new culture’:

Dem talk about ‘equality’, dem mention ‘divorce’

Dem holler am so-tay my ear nearly cut;

One wife be for one man.

My fader before my fader get him wife borku.*

E no’ get equality palaver; he live well

For he be oga† for im own house.

But dat time done pass before the white man come

Wit ’im

One wife for one man,

Tell me how una‡ woman no go make yanga§

Wen’e know say na’im only dey.

Suppose say – make God no ’gree –’e no born at all?§§

A’tell you dat man bin dey crazy wey start

One wife for one man.

Jus’ tell me how one wife fit do one man;

How go fit stay all time for him house

For time when belleh done kommot.

How many pickin’, self, one woman fit born

Wen one wife be for one man?

Suppose, self, say no so-so woman your wife dey born

Suppose your wife sabe book, no’sabe make chop;

Den, how you go tell man make’e no’ go out

Sake of dis divorce? Bo, dis culture na waya O!

Wen one wife be for one man.