The Song of the Babuma to the Sultan Ume Jilmi

The following is Patterson's translation of "The Song of the Babuma to the Sultan Ume Jilmi" from his Kanuri Songs. As a praise song for a mai of Kanem who lived in the 11th century, the text is full of anachronisms that require careful consideration and interpretation. While the general tenor of the praise song may reflect, to some degree, the high regard with which the first Muslim ruler of Kanem was viewed. However, anachronistic elements and the transformations over time in Kanem (and later, Borno) undoubtedly shaped the song and how early Islamic Kanem was remembered by the Kanuri of the early 20th century. For an example of anachronisms, note how the song ends with a reference to Birni Njimi, the ancient capital of Kanem. However, the sources are not exactly clear when Njimi replaced Manan as the capital of Kanem. Similarly, there is no way to know if the first Muslim Sultan of Kanem really did attack the land of Mobber or scatter captives in Bagirmi. While Lange seems to believe in the deeper antiquity of the name Bagirmi and perhaps a longer history of a polity there, we have no way to know to what extent Kanem was active in Bagirmi during the late 11th century. However, the song does record the name of Humme's maternal grandfather, Aji of Gagara Wunji. If the Diwan is reliable, Humme's mother was of Kay extraction, but the grandfather was named Ghumar. Was one name Kanuri (Aji?) while Ghumar reflected what may have been an already Islamized Muslim background of Hummay's mother? Intriguingly, like other traditions and sources, this Muslim ruler was remembered as having fair skin. 

Hail all powerful! To-day you are the world’s health-giver

Who hold destiny in your hands,

to-day you have made the world a paradise:

With whom lies the power for good

or evil, to-day you are the world’s

sweetness

Islam’s disposer, to-day you are the

pillar supporting the world

Who hold destiny in your hands, 

to-day, you have made the world a 

paradise

Sultan, who owns the town of Beskur,

leave off pleasure-seeking

Yours the market of the finest horses,

Ume Jilmi

Her whose mother was Tika, son of 

a warrior, a bush cow among men

Whose town is Umuru, who is a 

cause for wonder amongst all men

Went to the Wabe war three hundred and thirty-three times:

Three were undecided, but of your

goodness lead an army into battle 

You have fought in many parts and

put up the (mosque in the) ‘dandal’

Yours the corn measure in the daily 

markets and in the large ones too

Head of a troop of horse to-day you

are the greatest of all horsemen

Your protection spreads like wings

o’er your men, your men spread out 

behind you like wings

I (i.e. the Babuma) shall tell of

your greatness 

You are our protector whose acts are

done in secret

You are Sultan of all the great

Protect us and we shall protect you 

here on earth 

O! Sultan, you are the Ark of the 

Koran 

Whose grandfather was Aji of

Gagara Wunji

Son of Aji’s daughter 

You are a Sultan, fair of skin,

 who own the land of Kanem

On Sunday night you make you

plans, day dawns

On Monday forenoon, as it were

now, (you carry them into effect)

On your shoes, a piebald horse, on a 

fine stallion do your prancing

Send out the heat of your fiery 

spirit: no one can oppose your

plans

You put to flight a warrior, Dalla,

son of Mukka, chief of the land of 

Mobber, during the freshness of the 

rainy season

Again and again you put him to

flight 

Then forced him on to a raft of papyrus grass

Then you returned to your camp:

And came back and again forced him

on to his raft

And captured (from his following) a thousand slaves

And took them and scattered them 

in the open places of Bagirmi

The best you took (and sent home) as

the first fruits of battle

The children crying on their mothers

you snatched away from their 

mothers

You took the slave wife from a slave,

And set them in lands far removed 

from one another 

O! Sultan, the good, whose sleep is

(light as that) of a hare

Sultan, truly a Sultan, who stays 

not in the house of his father’s

sister 

Of noble birth from both his father 

and mother

Of noble birth indeed, of noble birth

from both his parents

(Where you sit) costly carpets are

spread for you, above your head is

a canopy of gold

O! Sultan, (who can discomfit one) 

like pebbles on one’s eyelashes

O! Sultan, Angel of God.

As (there is a) protector of the 

camel’s tongue, do you protect us

The friend of youth

Whose writing slate is made of ‘kabwi’ wood

At night (a warrior) on a coal-black

Horse; but when day dawns he (is

to be seen) with his Koran in his hand.

We wait upon your blessing

Babuma Amadu said to Mai Aji Fannami at the Sugu war,

“Sultan, even if you are mounted

on your bay horse called ‘Kite

Kiteram”.

Birni Njimi is a long way off if you

want to run away.