Ìtàn Ifá: Ìjápá kó ọgbọ́n ayé tán (Ifá Story: Ìjàpá collects all the world's wisdom)

Ẹ jẹ́ ká wò ọ̀rọ̀ tí Ifá sọ nínú Odù Ọlọ́gbọ́n Méjì.

Let's look at what Ifá says in the Odù Ọlọ́gbọ́n Méjì.

Nígbà kan, Ìjàpá ní ọgbọ́n púpọ̀, sùgbọ́n ó fẹ́ kó gbogbo ọgbọ́n ayé jọ sínú igbá kan kí ó máa fi ọgbọ́n pamọ́ lóri igi ọ̀pẹ.

Once upon of time, Ìjàpá (the tortoise) had a lot wisdom, but he wanted to gather all the world's wisdom into one calabash and hide it on top of the palm tree.

Ìjàpá fẹ́ ta ọgbọ́n fún ẹnikẹ́ni tó bá nílo ọgbọ́n, kí ó bá lè di olówó atí olókìkí.

Ìjàpá wanted to sell the wisdom to anyone who needed it so that he could become rich and famous.

Ìjàpá ronú pé ti òun bá sẹ bẹ́ẹ̀, gbogbo èèyàn á máa bọ̀wọ̀ fún òun

Ìjàpá thought that if he completed this plan, everyone would have no choice but to respect him.

Ó kọ́kọ́ lọ sí ilé babaláwo kan láti ṣe ìdáfá kí ètò ẹ̀ bá lè máa já sí rere.

He went for Ifá divination at the home of a babaláwo to ensure that his plan was executed successfully.

Odù Ọlọ́gbọ́n Méjì jáde. Ifá sọ pé kí ìjàpá máa gba ìmọ̀ràn àwọn ẹlòmí kí ètò ẹ̀ bá lè bọ́ si.

The Odù Ọlọ́gbọ́n Méjì came out. Ifá said that Ìjàpá needed to heed the wisdom of others if his plan was to be successful.

Inú bí ìjápá gan-an nitorí pé ó wo ara rẹ̀ bí ẹni tó lọ́gbọ́n ju gbogbo èèyàn ayé lọ

This made Ìjàpá very angry because he viewed himself as the wisest person on earth

Lẹ́yìn náà ó fi ìbínú sáré jáde kúrò nínú ilé babaláwo.

He then angrly stormed out of the babaláwo's house.

Lóòótọ́, ìjàpá kó gbogbo ọgbọ́n jọ sínú igbá ẹ̀, ṣùgbọ́n kò rọrùn fún Ìjàpá lati gùn igi ọ̀pẹ.

Ìjàpá did indeed pack all of the wisdom into his calabash, but he struggled to climb the palm tree.

Ìjàpá so òkun mọ́ igbá, ó sì so òkun yẹn mọ́ ọrùn ẹ̀ kí ó tún gbìyànjú láti gun igi.

Ìjàpá tied a rope around the calabash and tied that rope around his neck so that he could climb the tree again.

Ó tún gbìyànjú léraléra láti dé orí igi ọ̀pẹ pẹlú igbá ọgbọ́n, ṣùgbọ́n gbogbo ìlàkàkà ẹ̀ já sí asán.

He tried over and over to reach the top of the palm tree with the calabash of wisdom, but all of his efforts were in vain.

Nígbà yìí ni ìgbín ń rìn kọjá. Ó rí pé Ìjápá ń tiraka láti gun igi. Ìgbín dábàá pé kí Ìjápá máa fi igbá sẹ́yìn ẹ̀, kí ó lè rọrùn láti gun igi.

At that time the snail happened to be walking past and saw Ìjàpá struggling to climb the tree. She suggested that he should put the calabash on his back so it would be easier to climb.

Ìjàpá sẹ bẹ́ẹ̀. Ó fìrọ̀rùn gun òkè igi ọ̀pẹ. Nígbà tí Ìjàpá dé orí igi, Èṣù fara hàn. Èṣù ní pé, “Ìjàpá, bó tilẹ̀ jẹ́ pé o ní gbogbo ọgbọ́n nínú igbá kan, ọgbọ́n ìgbín jú ọgbọ́n ẹ̀ lọ?”

Ìjàpá did this. He easily climbed to the top of the tree. When he reach the top of the tree Èṣù appeared and said, Ìjàpá even though you have all of the wisdom in this calabash, the snail is still wiser than you.

Inú ń bi ìjàpá gidigidi gan an ni. Ó jù igbá sílẹ̀. Igbá fọ́ sí wẹ́wẹ́.

Ìjàpá became very angry and threw the calabash to the ground, breaking it into pieces.

Ẹ̀kọ́ itan yìí ni pé kí ọlọ́gbọ́n pàápàá máa fi ọgbọ́n ọlọ́gbọ́n ṣe ọgbọ́n

The moral of this story is that even wise people must utilize the wisdom of others to be truly wise.

Àwọn àgbàlagbà máa ń sọ pé:

As our elders says:

Ọgbọ́n olọ́gbọ́n kìí jẹ́ kí á pe àgbà ní wèrè

The collective wisdom of others prevents elders from being regarded as fools

About the author:

I am a black person from the diaspora who is learning the Yorùbá language to reconnect with my ancestors and decolonize my mind.