A Poem on Friends and Relations (Waƙar Ƴan Uwa)
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| Title | A Poem on Friends and Relations (Waƙar Ƴan Uwa) |
| Author or Owner | Isma’il (surname unknown), Umar Falke (owner) |
| Subject | Ethics, Guidance, Ƴan Uwa, Relationships, Kinship, Brotherhood, Peace, Mutual Respect |
| Content | Waƙar Ƴan Uwa is a short but powerful poem that examines the state of brotherhood or more precisely, the deteriorating nature of social interaction between relatives in modern society. The author, who mentions only his first name, Isma’il, in stanza 60, describes the rights and responsibilities of relatives and humanity in general. He posits that relationship as a comprehensive concept is based upon good and sound character, mutual assistance, seeking and giving positive advice and respectfully considering one another’s status. The poem enjoins siblings to refrain from encroaching upon the lives, reputation and wealth of each other. The poem encourages the peaceful resolution of conflicts among brothers and denounces those who promote hatred and breaking relationship ties. On the whole, the poet calls for unity, peace, love and mutual respect among families and relatives. |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Language | Hausa |
| Script | Hausa Ajami |
| Manuscript condition | 4 leaves. 19 x 23. 5 cm. // 8 pp., first and last blank. Condition: Vocalized and slightly worn at edges. |
| Type | Handwritten |
| Publisher | Unpublished |
| Provenance | Kano, Nigeria |
| Source Reference | “Waƙar Ƴan Uwa” (nd). Courtesy of Northwestern University Libraries. Click here for the source link. |
| Access condition and copyright | These materials are subject to copyright and are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 License, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. For use, distribution or reproduction beyond these terms, contact Professor Fallou Ngom (fngom@bu.edu). |
| Contributors | Jennifer J Yanco, Mustapha Hashim Kurfi, Garba Zakari, Lori De Lucia, Babacar Dieng, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Rebecca Shereikis, Alison Parker, Mark Lewis, Shawn Provencal, Eric Schmidt. |
| Required citation information | Fallou Ngom (PI), Jennifer Yanco, Mustapha Hashim Kurfi, Garba Zakari, Babacar Dieng, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, and Rebecca Shereikis. 2022. “A Poem on Friends and Relations.” https://sites.bu.edu/nehajami/the-four-languages/hausa/hausa-manuscripts/falke-0877-wakar-yan-uwa/ |
Manuscript
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Transcription and Translations
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