THE ESAMA OF BENIN KINGDOM

The Esama is the wealth and pride of the Kingdom,

The Ivie of the gods, the begotten of the Oba!

His wealth and fame perfumes the reddish muddy sandy land;

The delight he shares lavishly with no restraint.

The Esama, the beaded one!

He is not so small a man,

So he cannot be hidden or sat upon like the comfort of a cushion.

His drums echoes over a thousand hills;

That dance of pride, the wishing elephant!

He is the secret thoughts of the Oba, the arrogance of gods!

Whose shadow may want to look like that of the crown but:

Oba gha to kpere, Ise!

The Esama is never looked upon once,

Look at him!

And you will look at him again!

When those with few thousands came in to make us feel so small,

The Esama became a river, the Ivie of the gods.

Esama nogie!

Esama wagbon!

May your river never run dry, Ise!

May ceaseless drops continue to rain on you, Ise!

And your days be merry and long, Ise!

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