No one can touch a broken heart like a writer. Even doctors are not skilled enough in matters of the heart like that.
The writer drills the love-hole in the reader’s heart further with their pen, which may or may not be painful, removing the rest of the waste that was left behind, or that the reader had tried to fill the empty space in it with.
Then they may fill the hole up with words, promises of a love that would be easier and sweet. That is the most the writer can do, for no one else can completely heal the injured heart except the one that the reader truly loves. Else, their heart may never be fully healed, and they may hurt themself and others.
If the reader does not dig the writer’s words out, and they try their best to trust again, they may be fine till “the one” comes, the new one that will give them new love, for the writer’s first aid keeps the heart alive till the reader meets and becomes their own healer.
No, she’s not speaking Yoruba in the song, it’s Fon gbe, but the Fon people of Benin are of Yoruba descent, so any Yoruba person would understand the lyrics. “Igbadoun foun ayé”, for instance, sounds a lot like “ìgbádùn fún ayé”, which transliterates to “enjoyment for the world”.
This video used to scare me as a kid, I knew there was something different about it and I was right; it’s a beautiful, rich, deity song.
“Ago lo” in Fon language means “move out/make room/excuse” and it is used to welcome/announce the descension of a voodoo spirit. It is not “agolo” as in “tin”. If you know what “ago ya” is in Yoruba, it’s similar. The song is a celebration of Mother Earth. It is a song of hope and a call to the good powers of nature; a call to Aidahouédo, the great rainbow loa/snake, the messenger of love and tenderness. Ayida Wedo [same spirit, different spelling, Yoruba people should know what it means now- something like “the one who transforms/turns into something else to (or ‘so she can’) swim in the river”] was highly honoured in this video, and the dances you see are sacred, spiritual, Yoruba/Fon dances.
Morio orio Ola djou monké n’lo (3x) Ola djou monké Ola djou monké n’lo [Benin deity chant/prayer. I don’t know what it means, but I’m pretty sure ‘Olajumoke nlo’ is wrong. Olajumoke nlo ibo? Olajumoke isn’t going anywhere.]
Eman tché foya lénin [don’t be afraid today/now] Ifé foun gbogbo ayé [love be to the world] Eman tché gbagbé ifé [don’t forget love] Ifé foun ilé baba wa [love for our Fatherland] Ifé ayé ilé [love be to the world] Igbadoun foun ayé [enjoyment be to the world]
Agolo agolo agolo agolo (*welcoming/praying to the spirit* ) ____________ “Agolo”, Angélique Kidjo, 1994
I said something “wrong” to him, and he destroyed the bridge that led to me. My chances of seeing him again were slim, so I ran to Iya*, I ran to the sea.
Iya saw me crying by the bank, and I explained all that I could to her. I spoke till my spirit, voice and strength sank, and she stated that we had both gone too far.
She wiped and erased my tears and fears; she put honey in my mouth and put me to sleep. The sounds of frogs and fishes filled my ears, and when I woke up, the last thing I wanted to do was weep.