The Sacred Songs to the Orishas and their Spanish Translation

African culture has filtered its essence to the roots of Cuba, mainly the Yoruba, specifically in the Osha's rule, called Santeria.

Many components have been integrated into our culture and are already part of it. Today many traditional elements are kept with great love and zeal, among them that ancestral language that our ancestors brought.

The African slaves came to our land with ceremonies and rituals, forming since then an indissoluble part of our culture and of the essence that characterizes our people.

They had to go looking for other elements to replace the ones they used in their homeland from where they were taken.

Thus, they replaced plants, animals, foods, words, which over time became "Cubanized", traces that remain to this day.

Ancient Songs for the deities….

One of the elements that have not been replaced and still retain the traces of history, despite time, are its valuable songs that convey a lot of spirituality and are offered with great love at parties and ceremonies.

Songs with characteristic and unique rhythms that also sound the sacred Batá drums, to attract the Orishas to the earth.

The Yoruba language is a very rich language, it has three tones that are low, medium and high, and includes various combinations.

In Africa, in the western part of Nigeria, one of the main languages is Yoruba, dominated by a large part of its population. The Yoruba language is very difficult to translate into Spanish, so sometimes a clear understanding is not found in its translation.

Many of the songs remain in force thanks to the incessant and painstaking study of researchers such as Lydia Cabrera, Fernando Ortiz, Natalia Bolívar, Miguel Barnet, among other researchers and Africanists who saved the knowledge so that the wisdom of religion would not be lost and will endure as until today.

Songs of the Orishas translated into Spanish

Words in this language can have the same spelling, however their meaning is not the same, a word is pronounced up to five times in different ways and they also tend to have different meanings, which makes it very complex.

All of the foregoing leads to difficulties in its translation as such, which is why it is very likely that we will not make sense to translate it into our language.

What is really magical is that in their original language their songs convey religiosity, they are full of poetry, exquisiteness, grace and invocations.

There are many songs to the Orishas, in this article we have made a selection to offer you a little of their magic.

I sing to Eleguá, the little Osha

Soloist-Alároyé 'kú (I)' I know. Baba kú 'lá, Olú (l) fà o
Owner of the gossip I hope your work proceeds easily,
Father, greetings in your efforts,
Head of Divine Knowledge
Èşù ọmọ òdàrà Èşù ọmọ òdàrà
He who gathers a great multitude; child who performs wonders
He who gathers a great multitude; child who performs wonders
Èşù òdàrà my 'dòdò Èşù' re oe
Èşù performs wonders; the spirit of scarlet color, Èşù is goodness

Chorus- Èşù súwà yọ Alároyé mama kẹ (e) 'ní ya ir (e)' awo e
Èsù do not cut the mat or tear the blessings of the Initiate
who appears far and wide; the owner of titles of superiority

Soloist - Ọmọ Olusin Ọmọ Olusin
The child of the worshiper” the Child of the worshiper
Àwé ndé Àwé ndé
My friend is coming, My friend is coming
Ó gùn alákúkọe
He is tall, the owner of the rooster,
Ka mòn yà ngán yí ngà ọ nya ngán yí ngà o
Do not turn your back on him when he says "open it"
tearing, clearing this” opening it.
Yọ (o) 'bì yó bì (i)' àgò amã
Take the coconut out of its shell, dissolve the bad,
always make way for us
Pà (o) 'kúta ló wá omi òwò
Cut open the stone to seek the honor of the water
Èşù Gbélékè, (e) 'mi dòdò Èşù re oe
Èşù who elevates us to a place of honor, the spirit” of scarlet color,
Èşù is goodness
Sòpònná ẽlòrọ esi ẽlòrọ fò (a) 'ra sàké
Smallpox (Babalúayé) grinder of the antidote to keep out of a bad town; antidote grinder, to wash the body, which is applied silently
Mo foríbalè or ó gùn alákúkọ
I put my head on the ground because he who is tall,
The owner of the rooster

Irin (i) 'lè wá má mi mo bè o
Flatten the ground (laterite) always comes to me. I ask for it
Ọmọ (ọ) ro (ọ) 'mọ (ọ)' rò Ọmọ (ọ) 'rò (ọ)' mọ (ọ) rọ
The child of riches, the child of riches,
The boy of treasure and opulence.
Irin (i) 'lè wá má alákúkọ e
Iron on earth always comes owner of the rooster

Chorus- Èşù súwà I alároyé mámà ké 'ní ya ir'awo e
Èşù who appears far and wide, the owner of the main titles,
Do not cut the mat and do not tear the blessings of the initiate.

Soloist- Bara súwà yọ ọmọ yàlàwá (ò) 'nà
Vital force that appears far and wide;
Boy who separates "rajas" and divides the road
Kó mámà ké'ní ir'awo e
Do not cut that the initiates are of kindness
O Bara wá yo l2 Ẹkẹ e, Èşù Òdàrà ọmọ yàláwá'nà
Vital force that comes to deliver (us), the Forked Stick,
Èsù, actor of wonders,
Child who separates, slices and divides the road
Kó mama ké'ní ir'awo e
Don't cut the initiated mat of kindness

Chorus- Bara súwà yọ; ọmọ yàlàwá'nà
Vital force that appears far and wide;
Child who separates, slices and divides the road
Mama ké'ní ir'awo e
You can't cut the mat of insiders kindness
O Bara wá yo, Ẹkẹ e, Èsù Òdàrà, ọmọ yàlàwá'nà,
Vital force that comes to deliver (us), the Forked Stick,
Èşù, actor of wonders,
Child who separates, slices and divides the road
Mámà ké'ní ir'awo e
You can't cut the mat of the initiated kindness

I sing to Oggún, the hunting warrior of the mountain

Màrìwò yéyéýe, màrìwò
The twisted palm, the twisted palm,
Ògún aşọ Alágbède or
(The palm-leafy ones) is the dress of úngún. The blacksmith

Repeat the same

Mo wí mo bò ni mo bó aşọ Ògún Alágbède or
I say I'll cover it with this and then I'll be free.
Ògún's dress. The blacksmith.

Èní mo bò ni mo bó aşọ Ògún Alágbède
Today I will cover with him so that I will be free.
Ògún's dress. The blacksmith

I sing to Oshosi, the Bow and Arrow Justice

Yáā kú ọ adé şá gè (i) 'lè; Adé şá gè (i) 'lè
Quick greetings to you selected crown that
It sits comfortably on the ground;
Selected crown that sits comfortably on the ground.
To gbàdi olówó or şà. Oní gégé oní gégé
We are ready to be the rich people you select.
To have it to have it exactly exactly”
Aşá ni wéwé. Òko ní gbé
Razor that cuts (one) into small pieces.
Spear that is sharp.
O kú rò ọba. ó yè o.
May yearn for the immortality of the king. It's convenient.

I sing to Shango, the King of lightning

Şàngó ẹ wè m (i) 'èyẹ
Şàngó you wash me give me honor

Repeat the above.

Baba mi Şàngó ẹ wè m'èyẹ
My father. Sàngó you wash me to give me honor.

Baba mi Şango e wè m'èyẹ
My father, Sàngó, you wash me to give me honor.

Şàngó l'ara mi. Şàngó l'ara mi.
Şàngó possess my body. Sàngó possess my body.

Şàngó l'ara mi. Şàngó l'ara mi
Şàngó possess my body. Şàngó possess my body.

Şàngó, Ọba Kò so; Sàngó, Ọba Kò so
Şàngó, King who did not hang himself ,;
Şàngó, king who did not hang himself,

Şàngó, Ọba Kò so (2x)
Şàngó, King who did not hang himself,

The goal, èle le, (e) 'mi Àgògo
Tap the Àgògo three times to call
to the spirit of the rich, powerful force.

I sing to Obatalá, the father of all

Baba òwó (o) 'ré le o, 6
awo wó (ọ) 'lọká yé yé, Eléèjìgbò
Father of the mob of mighty whips, creeping mystery
The owner of the honored boa honored. Head of Èjìgbò
Baba èmí, Elérí ẹfun, gbátì '(ọ)' ba sa wó, èyí bó (ọ) 'ré le
Father of life, Owner of the Head of White Clay,
(We) run after the King who runs crooked
This keeps the whips powerful
Gbá tì wá 'wo. Ẹ nù àyé. Ẹyà wa l'órò Baba èmí
We run afterwards and look for the mystery. You who clean the
the world. Our people have the tradition of the Father of Life.
Ẹyà wa l'órò ẹlésè ọká
Our people have a tradition of worshiping the boa.

I sing to Yemayá, the goddess of the sea

Yẹmọja and Olódò, Àwoyó Yemoja
Yẹmọja is the owner of the rivers,
The vessel of Fullness is the Mother of fishermen.
Repeat the same.
Yẹmọja (Ìyá) 'lóde
Yẹmọja is a high ranking Mother.
Àwoyó ayé Àwoyó
The vessel of Fullness, the vessel of the world of Fullness.

I sing to Oyáthe reckless warrior

Eee Ọya wí my lórò ee
The tornado wraps me in tradition.
Ọya, Ọya wé mi 1'órò ee
The tornado, the tornado envelops me in tradition.
Ọya 'kàrá, Òrìşà àlejò
The great Noisy Tornado, the Alien with the selected head.
Ẹ wí mã yo 'rò. E ké ọlá
You always speak to save tradition. You are acclaimed with honor.

I sing to Oshún, the goddess of the river and love

Yèyé yèyé or arẹni. Iyá mi wá şe. Kó máà yà
Mother of mothers you are provocative.
My Mother comes and creates. Don't turn aside
Yèyé yèyé or arẹni. Yèyé kó máà yà
Mother of mothers you are provocative.
My Mother comes and creates. Don't turn aside
Yèyé yèyé or arẹni. Íyá (or) 'my õtó' lóōrefà
Mother of mothers you are provocative
Mother of the Water of Truth, Owner of Goodness and Luck.