Salimu — Part 2

Intro

This is Part 2 of the Salimu tale. For more context, see the Intro of Part 1.

Listen

RECAP: In Part 1, we were introduced via a combination or prose and singing to Salimu Hayidara, an enigmatic driver who was known as a drinker despite the important Sharifian status of the Hayidara lineage.

Audio file

Listen & Read

RECAP: In Part 1, we were introduced via a combination or prose and singing to Salimu Hayidara, an enigmatic driver who was known as a drinker despite the important Sharifian status of the Hayidara lineage.

Audio file

29 A: aha ! bɔn n’i k’à mɛn ko Salimu
30 serifu le tɛrɛ
31 à k’à la denmisɛnya kɛ, k’à damina Loronbo

32 Salimu tɛrɛ sofɛri le di
33 a ka sofɛriya kɛ Loronbo
34 a ka san yirika kɛ la à mobilibori la
35 o waati la

36 Solokakɛ do tɛrɛ Kankan
37 o tɔɔ tɛrɛ ko Pol
38 kɔnwa tɛrɛ o le bolo
39 n’i ka mɛn ko kɔnwa
40 ka mobili tan ni fila
41 k’ayi bɛɛ sarise
42 ka bɔ Kankan ka wa Konakiri
43 o mobili tan ni fila le tɛrɛ taamala
44 à fɔkan tɛrɛ o le ma ko kɔnwa

45 Salimu tɛrɛ o le sofɛriya la
46 a filanan kɛra jɔn di ?
47 o le tɛrɛ Dantuman di

48 aa ! Dantuman, à bara sa
49 ɛɛ ! Dantuman !
50 sofɛri le tɛrɛ o fana di.

51 Dantuman tɛrɛ kuru mɛn dɔ
52 camu tɛrɛ ole bolo, mazi
53 a baa se pɔn koron ma
54 à d’a fɔ a la pasazelu ma ko ayi ɲa masi !
55 i b’i ɲa masi
56 a baa dirɛkisɔn gwasi
57 i d’i yɛrɛ ye pɔn kɔ ma
58 Dantuman le tɛrɛ o kɛla

Listen & Read With Notes

29 A: aha ! bɔn, n’i k’à mɛn ko Salimu

• bɔn = Fr. bon

30 serifu le tɛrɛ

• serifu = Sharif; descendant of the Prophet; a characteristic of the Hayidara clan

31 à k’à la denmisɛnya kɛ, k’à damina Loronbo

• k'à damina = to start sth
• Loronbo = the home town of Salimu

32 Salimu tɛrɛ sofɛri le di

• sofɛri = < Fr. chauffeur

33 à ka sofɛriya kɛ Loronbo
34 à ka san yirika kɛ la à mobilibori la

• yirika = several
• Transcribed as ... kɛ la in the original but is likely just à ka san yirika kɛ à mobilibori la

35 o waati la

36 Solokakɛ do tɛrɛ Kankan

• solaka/sulaka = Moor; Mauritanian Arab

37 o tɔɔ tɛrɛ ko Pol
38 kɔnwa tɛrɛ o le bolo

• kɔnwa = a French loanword; an explanation of its meaning is given directly in the lines that follow

39 n’i ka mɛn ko kɔnwa
40 ka mobili tan ni fila
41 k’ayi bɛɛ sarise

• ayi = dialectal variant of àlu
• k'à sarise = Fr. charger

42 ka bɔ Kankan ka wa Konakiri
43 o mobili tan ni fila le tɛrɛ taamala
44 a fɔkan tɛrɛ o le ma ko kɔnwa

45 Salimu tɛrɛ o le sofɛriya la
46 à filanan kɛra jɔn di ?

• à filanan = Lit. "his second". Here, "the second fiddle driver"

47 o le tɛrɛ Dantuman di

48 aa ! Dantuman, a bara sa

• ka sa = to die

49 ɛɛ ! Dantuman !
50 sofɛri le tɛrɛ o fana di.

51 Dantuman tɛrɛ kuru mɛn dɔ

• kuru = group

52 camu tɛrɛ ole bolo, mazi

• camu = the name of special magical ability; this isn't a general term; it's particular to the story
• mazi = < Fr. magie

53 a baa se pɔn koron ma

• pɔn = < Fr. pont

54 a d’a fɔ a la pasazelu ma ko ayi ɲa masi !

• pasaze = < Fr. passager
• k'i ɲa masi = to close your eyes [The verb may be masii or masi]

55 i b’i ɲa masi

• b'i = baa i

56 a baa dirɛkisɔn gwasi

• dirɛkisɔn = steering wheel (Fr. direction)

57 i d’i yɛrɛ ye pɔn kɔ ma
58 Dantuman le tɛrɛ o kɛla

Comprehension

Coming soon!