Corpus:A short story in Nzema
| Author/Creator/Speaker(s) | Francis Benle |
|---|---|
| Editor/Recorded by/Broadcaster | Francis Benle |
| Title | Yɛ mɔ menli ne kulo la |
| Original language | Nzema |
| Date/Place | 19/05/2013 |
| Translation language | English |
| Translator | Francis Benle |
| Type | narration |
| Annotator | Francis Benle |
| Corpus translator | Francis Benle |
nolobɔvo bie nwu-nle kɛ ye asɔnemra ne anye enie ye nolobɔlɛ ne anwo
preacher some see-PAST that 3SG congregation DET eye dislike 3SG preaching DET on
noko bɛ-kpɔne asɔne a bɛ-n-gola ye kakile ye
but 3PL-close church PRT 3PL-NEG-able 3SG say 3SG
a certain preacher realised that his church members were not happy with his preaching but were not able to confront him after service
ɔ-nwu-nle kɛ bɛ-ye ye ndɛne mɔ fane ye nolobɔlɛ ne anwo
3SG-see-PAST that 3PL-say 3SG something PRT about 3SG preaching DET on
he realised they complain badly behind him about his mode of preaching
wɔ ye nolobɔlɛ ne anu ɔ-bɔ mɔdenle kɛ ɔ-bado ye aneɛ ne aze
in 3SG preaching DET in 3SG-try well that 3SG-put 3SG language DET down
ye-ayeye ninyɛne mɔ ɔ-nea asɔnemra ne ɛnrɛde ɔ-bo la ye-avi nu
3SG-remove things PRT 3SG-see congregation DET NEG-understand 3SG-in PRT 3SG-from in
eza kɛ ɔ-kɛva Latini la ye-ava Nrɛlenza mɔ ɛnyɛ ɛse la ye-abɔ ye
aslo that 3SG-take Latin PRT 3SG-take English that NEG difficult PRT 3SG-say 3SG
nolo ne
preaching DET
ama asɔnemra ekpunli ne mɔ tua ye kakɛ la ade ye ɛdwɛkɛ ne abo
so congregation sub-group DET that pay 3SG salary PRT understand 3SG message DET in
in the course of his preaching he made sure he used basic English language instead of Latin that every member of the congregation would understand. he tried as much as possible to eliminate all difficult part of the text he used in preaching so that the members especially those who paid him understood him
Noko asɔnemra ne mɔ ɛha la ɛhye ɛnzɔ bɛ nye
but congregation DET PRT other PRT that NEG 3PL interest
naa bɛ-nwu nolobɔvo ne kɛ ɔ-nyɛ deɛ
and 3PL-see preacher DET that 3SG-doing well
despite all these most of the members of the congregation were not impressed with his preaching and saw him as a common preacher
nolobɔvo ne denla-nle aze dwenle-nle ɛhye anwo dedee la
preacher DET sit-PAST down think-PAST this on long PRT
ɔ-nwu-nli kɛ ansɛna ye asɔnemra ne anye ba-lie ɔ-nwo la
3SG-see-PAST that before 3SG congregation DET eye 3PL-interest 3SG-body PRT
kyesɛɛ ɔ-kakyi adenle mɔ ɔ-dua zo ɔ-bɔ ye nolo ne la
unless 3SG-change manner PRT 3SG-pass on 3SG-say 3SG preaching DET PRT
the preacher, having sat down to ponder over the situation, realised that in order for the members to be impressed with his teaching he would have to adopt a new style
ɛhye ati ɔ-zuzu-le adwenle fofolɛ
this reason 3SG-think-PAST plan new
as a result of this he adopted a new strategy
ye molɛ bieko nwolemɔ ne ɔ-kpondɛ-le kɛlata mɔ ndelebɛbo ɛne nu la
3SG sunday again morning DET 3SG-search-PAST text PRT understanding NEG in PRT
naa ɔ-genga-le ye fane dɔɔnwo ne ala
and 3SG-read-PAST 3SG each more DET PRT
the following Sunday morning he picked a strange text and read through several times
naa ɔ-va-le ye adwenle ɔ-bubu le ye asɔnemra ne
and 3SG-take-PAST 3SG mind 3SG-assess-PAST 3SG congregation DET
naa ɔ-yɛ-le ye adwenle kɛ ɔ-kaha mɔ bɛ-kulo la
and 3SG-make-PAST 3SG mind that 3SG-say PRT 3PL-like PRT
he took his mind back to the congregation and decided to go and preach to them what they would like to hear
ɛhye ma-nle ɔ-du-le ngɛlɛhɛlɛ bie ɔ-vi-le Icelandic ɛdwɛdolɛnli
this make-PAST 3SG-remove-PAST text some 3SG-from-PAST Icelandic poet
Ikon Navrojk ɛdwɛne ne anu
Ikon Navrojk poetry DET in
ɔ-wie-le la ɔ-yɛ le ye adwenle kɛ ɔ fa ɛhye ye-ali gyima
3SG-finish-PAST PRT 3SG-make-PAST 3SG mind that 3SG-take this 3SG-use work
he extracted a verse from the Icelandic poet Ikon Navrojk and decided to work with it
raalɛ bɛlane bie mɔ de bɛ-nyunlu la va le ye ɛhwɛleɛ ne do le ɔnye
woman fat some PRT sit 3PL-front PRT take-PAST 3SG glass DET put-PAST eye
naa ɔ-yɛ-le ɔ nzo ngengɛnye kɛ ɔ-tie
and 3SG-do-PAST 3SG ear alert to 3SG-listen
Nrenyia bie noko mɔ de fema zo la noko bɔ-le ɔ-bo kɛ ɔ-bɔ ɔti aze
man some also PRT sit righton PRT also start-PAST 3SG-begining to 3SG-nod head down
one fat woman who sat in front put on her glass and decided to listen attentively. a certain man who was also sitting at the right hand side also started nodding the head
asɔnemra ne bɔ-le ɔ-bo kɛ bɛ-nlɛnlea bɛ-nwunli
congregation DET begin-PAST 3SG-begining to 3PL-look 3PL-faces
kɛ asɛ bɛ-nyia mɔ bɛ-kpondɛ la
that now 3PL-get PRT 3PL-like PRT
in the course of the preaching that day the members began looking at their faces as a sign of they getting what they wanted
nolobɔvo kyikyi-le ɔnwunlu naa ɔ-wie-le la ɔ-biza-le asɔnemra ne kpunyia
preacher clean-PAST 3SG-face and 3SG-finish-PAST PRT 3SG-ask-PAST cong. DET question
the preacher cleaned his face and asked his members questions
wɔ mekɛ ɛhye asɔnemra ne anye liele kpalɛ
at time this congregation DET eye happy well
ɔ-lua kɛ adawu ɛhye mɔ ati a bɛ-tua nolobɔvo ne kakɛ a
3SG-reason that message this PRT that PRT 3PL-pay preacher DET salary PRT
within this time the members became extremely happy because to them it was for this type of preachings that they pay the preacher
kenle zɔhane bɛ-nye lie-le ɔ-luakɛ adawu ne yɛ-le bɛ fɛ kpole kpalɛ
day that 3PL-eye happy-PAST 3SG-reason message DET make-PAST 3PL interest big well
that day they became extremely happy because they were interested in that message
nolobɔvo ne du le ngɛlɛlɛ bulu nee mɔtwɛ vilii Gilikinli ɛdwɛndolɛnli
preacher DET remove-PAST line ten and eight from Greek poet
Amebius ɛdwɛndolɛ ne anu naa ɔ-va-le ɔ-biza-le bɛ kpunyia
Amebius poetry DET in and 3SG-take-PAST 3SG-ask-PAST 3PL question
noko asɔnemra ne biala am-muke ɔ-nloa
but congregation DET all NEG-open 3SG-mouth
the preacher pulled out a verse from the poetry of the Greek poet Amebius and questioned them with it but none of them opened the mouth
ɔ-yɛ-le ye mɔ ɔ-ka ɛdwɛndolɛ bie anwo ɛdwɛkɛ dedee naa ɔ-fɛ a ɛnee
3SG-do-PAST 3SG PRT 3SG-say poet some body message long and 3SG-tire PRT then
ye-hɔva debie fofolɛ mɔ asɔnemra ne anye ba-lie nwo la ye-ra
3SG-take something new PRT congregation DET eye 3PL-interest on PRT 3SG-come
he kept on moving from one text to the other so as to make the members happy
Nzinli ɔ-hakyi-le ɔ ne naa ɔ-hɔva-le n-loma nee fɛlawɔse nwo
later 3SG-change-PAST 3SG voice and 3SG-take-PAST PL-bird and flowers on
ɛdwɛkɛ ɔ rale
message 3SG-come-PAST
ɛhye ɛn-vane ezunle nwo noko ɔ-nloa gua zo ɔ-lɛka la
this NEG-concern weeping on but 3SG-mouth continuing on 3SG-preaching PRT
ɔ-zun-li
3SG-cry-PAST
later he began preaching about birds and flowers and in the course of that he ended up weeping though the message did not merit weeping
ɔ-wie-le ɛhye mɔ amuanla la ɔ-denla-nle aze
3SG-finish-PAST this PRT all PRT 3SG-sit-PAST down
naa ɔ-lea-nle asɔnemra ne anyunlu la ɔ-nwu-li kɛ
and 3SG-look-PAST congregation DET face PRT 3SG-see-PAST that
ɛnɛ mɔ ye-ha bɛ ahonle nu ɛdwɛkɛ
today PRT 3SG-say 3PL heart in message
after all these he sat down and having looked at the members he realised from their faces that he had indeed preached to their satisfation
awiebiala anye lie-le bɔbɔ raalɛ bɛlane ne mɔ ɛnee de bɛ-nyunlu la
everybody eye happy-PAST especially woman plumby DET PRT that sit 3PL-front PRT
everybody became happy especially the fat woman who was sitting in front
ngyegyelɛ ekyii mɔ ɛnee ɛ-lɛ-gyegye asɔnemra ne la a lɛ kɛ
wory small PRT that 3SG-be-wory congrgation DET PRT PRT be that
saa bɛ-yɛ bɛ adwenle kɛ bɛ-ma nolobɔvo ne ahɔ zo adenla
if 3PL-make 3PL mind that 3PL-allow preacher DET continue on staying
naa ye-abɔ zɔhane nolo ne a kɛ ɔ-kɛyɛ naa bɛ-adua ye kakɛ kpalɛ la
and 3SG-preach that message DET PRT how 3SG-do and 3PL-pay 3SG salary well PRT
the only problem the members had that day was how to motivate the preacher with good salary so that he could continue to give them that impressive message
asɔneyɛlɛ ne ra-le awieleɛ la nolobɔvo ne ma-nle adenle kɛ
service DET come-PAST end PRT preacher DET give-PAST chance to
awie biala kola biza kpunyia mɔ fane nolo ne anwo la
member all can ask question PRT about preaching DET on PRT
noko sonla ko bɔbɔ an-dwazo
but human one never NEG-rise
when the service came to an end the preacher inquired from the members if any of them had a question to ask concerning the preaching he got none.
bɛ-muanla bɛ-lie-le bɛ-do-le nu
3PL-all 3PL-take-PAST 3PL-accept-PAST in
they all accepted the message
nolobɔvo ne nwu-nli mɔ asɔnemra ne kpondɛ la
preacher DET see-PAST PRT congregation DET like PRT
naa ɔ-yɛ-le ye adwenle kɛ ɔ nee bɛ bɛ-azi agole ko ne ala
and 3SG-make-PAST 3SG mind that 3SG and 3PL 3PL-dance music one DET PRT
the preacher having realized finally what the members wanted decided to dance to their tune
Adawu ne bodane: fa mɔ menli ne kpondɛ la ma bɛ
story DET rationale: give PRT people DET like PRT give 3PL
about the story: give to others what they want