Owonrin-Otura

Having arrived where we are now,
we shall not proceed
until we have offered.
In order for us to survive
the situation to our enjoyment,
we can only proceed after having offered,
convincedly and completely,
a sum of 22,000 cowries to the oracle,
and after we have promised to throw
a feastly dinner party for our family
and for our friends. Oh, but do you see
why Ifa tells us this?
"He feels that he's been had,
and he wants to hit back;
good character doesn't hit back,
not even when it's sure it has been had"
was cast for Ladida, on the day
that he felt abandoned by many,
and he wanted to show them!
"I pulled the chestnuts out of the fire for them",
Ladida complained, "and for her, yes,
the one over there, I spent lots of money
in order to help her. And those others,
over there the other way, I carried
on my back in the days they couldn't walk.
And him, and her, and so-and-so: for all
of them I have been available
when they needed me. But when in turn
I asked something from them, oh: it was always
too much trouble, and never possible:
they even slandered me in front of those
whom I defended them against.
Isn't it about time to give them
a sound piece of my mind?"
The awo's shook their wise old heads,
and instructed Ladida to quickly make
the offering of a feast and 22,000 cowries,
instead of getting even, and only making
things much worse that way.
Ladida listened and made the offering,
and that was exactly what the Awo's had said:
"He feels that he's been had,
and he wants to hit back;
good character doesn't hit back,
not even when it's sure it has been had"
was cast for Ladida, on the day
that he was about to demean himself,
but saw the error of his way just in time.
Ifa says we have made the offering,
in order to escape the wrath of those
whom we have helped, without
taking revenge ourselves.
Greetings to the offering,
and may we quickly rise above
the occasion!