The following dialogs are all scenes where the weather affects daily life in a West African village context.
Rain and Laundry
NOTE: This dialog is off because it is two male actors playing women.
SITUATION: Two women, Sita and Rokiya, are doing chores and talking about the weather.
SITA: Ɛ! Rokiya! Tara bɛ bi dɛ!
ROKIYA: Tiɲɛ b'i fɛ. O waati man ɲi bi.
SITA: N tun b'à fɛ ka taa n ka faniw ko tile nin na. Nka n lanin b'à la ko sanji bɛna ben kɔfɛ.
ROKIYA: Fɔli tɛ o ma kɔni. I ka kan ka la o la.
SITA: Wulatile la, sanbentuma le daminɛnin ye nin ye tan cɔ.
ROKIYA: You're right. The weather isn't good today.
SITA: I wanted to go wash my clothes at midday. But I believe that rain is going to fall later.
ROKIYA: It's not worth saying [Lit. "Saying isn't to that"] in any case. You need to believe it.
SITA: This afternoon, that will be the start of the rain falling time for sure.
Rain and Fieldwork
SITUATION: Adama and Fatoma are talking about the rain. Adama had wanted to do some planting.
ADAMA: Cɛ! Wulatilela sanben wagati sera tugu dɛ!
FATOMA: Ɔnhɔn, à damɛnin lɔgɔkun kelen ye nin ye.
ADAMA: N tun b'à fɛ ka baara kɛ kafe-foro le la bi. Nka n ka kan k'o dabila sɔn ka ku dɔ don.
FATOMA: O ka fisa kosɛbɛ!
ADAMA: I bɛ se ka woso ni tiga fana bɛɛ don daminɛ sisan.
FATOMA: O bɛ tiɲɛ ye cɔ!
ADAMA: Ni sanji kà dugu minɛ tuma min na, i bɛ se ka malo buruka.
FATOMA: Yeah, it's been started for one week now.
ADAMA: I wanted to work in the coffee fields today. But I need to give that up and put in [as in, "plant"] some yams.
FATOMA: That's really better [as an idea]!
ADAMA: You can start putting in both sweet potatoes and peanuts as well now.
FATOMA: That's totally true!
ADAMA: Once the rain grabs [as in, "sinks into"] the land, you can harrow [as in, "cover with soil using a hoe"] rice.
Wind and Work
NOTE: This is off because Sali is played by a male.
SITUATION: Mamadu and Sali are chatting in the morning. They discuss how the Harmattan winds are affecting their routines.
MAMADU: Sali, i bɛ mun ne kɛla bi?
SALI: N b'à fɛ ka fani dɔw bila gara la. Nka fɔɲɔba kosɔn, n tɛ se ka fosi kɛ.
MAMADU: Ele ta yɛrɛ ka fisa. I bɛ se ka garabaara dɔw kɛ bon kɔnɔ. Nka nɛnɛ kosɔn, ne tɛ se ka danni fosi kɛ!
SALI: I kɔrɔkɛ Seku do? À taara kongo la kaban?
MAMADU: À ma taga fɔlɔ. Nɛnɛ kosɔn, à fana tɛ tagala kongo la sɔgɔma joona sisan.
SALI: I want to put some clothes on the drying rack.. But due to the big wind, I can't do anything.
MAMADU: Yours [as in, "your situation"] is preferable. You can do some drying rack work in the house. But due to the cold, I can't do any planting.
SALI: And your older brother Seku? Did he already go into the bush?
MAMADU: He didn't go yet. Due to the cold, he also doesn't go into the bush early nowadays.
By the Fire in the Morning
NOTE: This dialog is off because it is two male actors playing women.
SITUATION: Asita and Bintu are sitting around a fire in the morning to keep warm.
ASITA: Bintu! Na ni lɔgɔ dɔ ye ka bila ta la dɛ.
BINTU: Ɛ, Asita! À bɛ i kɔnɔ ko an bɛna tile ban ta kɛrɛ fɛ bi?
ASITA: À tɛ ten. Nka nɛnɛ warala kojugu.
BINTU: N k'à lɔn cɔ! Nɛnɛ man di ne fana ye. Nka ni an bɛ sigila ta kɔrɔ ka tile bɛn, jɔn le bɛna gba kɛ?
ASITA: N t'à fɛ an ka tile ban taja la. O n'à ta bɛɛ, n to n bɛ sigi dɔɔnin.
BINTU: N t'à fɔla ko an ye taja dabila sisan. I yɛrɛ k'à lɔn ko tile janfara. An dun ma minan nɔgɔw ko fɔlɔ.
BINTU: Jeez, Asita! Do you think that we're gonna spend the day next to the fire?
ASITA: That's not how it is. But the cold has become too abundant.
BINTU: I know it indeed! I also don't like the cold. But if sit by the fire until the sun meets [us], who is going do the cooking?
ASITA: I don't want us to spend the day warming by the fire. That said, let me sit a little bit.
BINTU: I didn't say that we should cease warming by the fire now. [But] you yourself know that the sun is getting high [in the sky]. And yet we haven't washed the dirty dishes yet.