Ponto De Nanã [Song]

Uploaded by MarieneDeCastroVEVO
PONTO DE NANÃ
By Mariene de Castro

Oxumarê me deu dois barajás pra festa de Nanã | Òsùmàrè gave me two barajas for the festival of Nanã
A velha deusa das águas quer mugunzá. | The old goddess of the waters wants sweet corn cake.
Seu ibiri enfeitado com fitas e búzios | Her ibiri adorned with ribbons and shells
O ponto pra assentar | The place to sit
Mandou cantar, Ê, Salubá! | I am ordered to sing, "Ay, Saluba!"

Ela vem no som da chuva | She comes in the sound of the rain
Dançando devagar seu ijexá | Slowly dancing her ijexa
Senhora da Candelária, abá | Lady of Light, abá
Pra toda a sua nação iorubá | For her entire Yoruba nation.

GLOSSARY AND TRANSLATION PROVIDED BY ROSALIENE BACCHUS.
Oxumarê: God of the rain and rainbow that transports water between the sky and earth.
Barajás: Meaning not found.
Nanã: Goddess of mud and riverbeds, associated with fertility, sickness and death. Pictured as a very old woman, she is the most respected diety.
Mugunzá: Sweet corn cake cooked with milk or coconut milk used in religious rituals.
Ibiri: Straw scepter with shells.
Salubá: Meaning not found. Seems to be a form of salutation.
Ijexá: Rhythm from the Jexa nation.
Lady of Light: Christian Mother of God.
Abá: Meaning not found. Could be another form of salutation.
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A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Mariene De Castro, for this beauty.

I found this song recently and I am sharing it with you, hoping that you will find it as soothing as I did. It brings to me my homeland, the benediction of nature and the comforting embrace of the heritage bequeathed to and shared by those of the African diaspora.

At the end of a life, just before I close my eyes for the last time, I know that I will not want to remember the time I wasted being bitter and angry and selfish. I know that I will be thinking about my Mama, in fact, it is very likely that I will die whispering her name. But what will I think about what I made of my life?

We will be comforted if our lives were full of love. If our lives have not been not full of love, I hope that we will die in the arms of people who can show us love, who will reassure us that all is forgiven and that all's well that ends well.  Because I think it would be the worst death of all, to leave this life knowing that there was no more time, that time just ran out and that the precious time that we were given was wasted causing and harbouring hurt.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare