Bawo ni Reader? How are you caring for yourself with everything happening in the world? I hope that you are well.
Let me give you a fair warning about this message. We have started a new phase. A phase where we have removed whiteness from the center of our universe. Will this work for you?
Báwo ni ẹ ṣe ń tọ́jú ara yin Reader, pẹ̀lú gbogbo ohun tó ń ṣẹlẹ̀ ní ayé? Mo ni ireti pé àlàáfíà ló wà
Mo fẹ́ fún yin ní ìkìlọ̀ òdodo nípa ìrànṣẹ́ yìí. A ti bẹ̀rẹ̀ ìgbà tuntun. Ìgbà tí a yóò yọ́ Òyìnbó kúrò nínú àárín agbaye wa. Ṣé iyen máa dá fún yin?
Fún èmi... ní ọ̀sẹ̀ tó kọjá, mo parí sísọ Òyìnbó. Àwọn tó yí mi ká bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí ní sọ̀ Yorùbá. Ó dà bíi pé a ti ya ara wa kúrò nínú àṣà Òyìnbó.
For me... last week, I stopped speaking English. All those around me began speaking Yoruba. It felt like we had separated ourselves from Western reality.
Ọ̀nà sí Ayé Tuntun (Path to the New World)
Láàárín kíkọ ìtàn “How the World Was Won” fún “New World Haven”, mo rí i nínú ìwòye kan pé ipa tí àwọn èdè wa máa ṣe nínú òmìnira wa, ó ṣe pàtàkì jù. Ìgbésẹ̀ àkọ́kọ́ l’ọ̀nà sí Ayé Tuntun ni ká mọ ara wa títí di ìjìnlẹ̀ ara wa. Ìyẹn yóó jẹ́ kí a nífẹ̀ẹ́ ara wa gidi gidi bí àwùjọ. Àwọn ìtàn wa ni ìbẹ̀rẹ̀ ìgbàgbọ́ wa, tí wọ́n sì fẹhìntì sí èdè wa, tó ń fa àṣà wa, ìwà wa, àti ayé wa.
In receiving the story “How the World Was Won” for “New World Haven,” I was reminded that the role of our languages in our liberation is crucial. The first step on the path to the New World is to know ourselves deeply. That will make us truly love ourselves as a community. Our stories are the foundation of our beliefs, which stem from our language, shaping our culture, character, and life.
Àkíyèsí: Awa kì í ṣe awon tó kọ Yorùbá ìjìnlẹ̀. Yorùbá tí o rí nínú àwọn ìtúmọ̀ Ayélujára ni. Bí o bá mọ Yorùbá ìjìnlẹ̀, tí o bá rí aṣìṣe nínú àwọn ọ̀rọ̀ yìí, ẹ jọ̀wọ́, ẹ jẹ́ kí a mọ.
Notice: We are not advanced Yoruba speakers. The Yoruba you see here is from online translations. If you know advanced Yoruba and notice any mistakes, please let us know.
Bí èdè AAVE rewa ju, ìmọ̀ràn ti è jọ tí àwọn èdè wa ní Africa. Látí mọ ara wa dáadáa, a gbọ́dọ̀ gbọ́ ìmọ̀ràn tó jẹ́ ipilẹ̀ àwọn èdè wa. Bí gùn bí a ń sọ̀rọ̀ bí amúsìn wa, a ń rò bí àwọn náà. Awa kò lè rò bí amúsìn wa ká sọ pé a ń wá òmìnira tiwa ayérayé.
Though AAVE is beautiful, the wisdom it holds resembles that of our languages in Africa. To truly know ourselves, we must understand the fundamental principles within our languages. When we speak like our oppressors, we think like them. We cannot think like our oppressors and claim we are seeking our eternal freedom.
Nígbàtí awá ènìyàn dudu sọ Òyìnbó sí ara wa, a ń pe ní agbára amúsìn láàrín wa. Àwọn ìtàn àti ìgbàgbọ́ tí Òyìnbó fún wa jẹ́ ti ìwà-ipa àti ìlòkùlọ̀. Awa gbọ́dọ̀ fún ìṣe rò sí ìbéèrè èdè nínú ara dudu. Àwọn èdè tiwa dudu ni àwọn aṣírí fún òmìnira ayérayé wa.
When we Black people speak English to each other, we are invoking the power of our oppressors within us. The stories and beliefs that English have given us are filled with violence and exploitation. We must place importance on addressing the language question across the Black globe. Our African languages hold many secrets to our eternal freedom.
Sunday July 21 at 1pm with my preferred Yoruba Teacher
Ifọ́ Oníwàláàfimú (Crumbling of the Empire)
Bí oníwàláàfimú òyìnbó ń fò lójú wa, a gbọ́dọ̀ rántí pé ènìyàn agbára ni wa. Pé a ti ní àwọn ètò àti àṣà wa títẹ̀lé tó a máa nílò, bí a ṣe ń wọ́ Ayé Tuntun.
As white imperialism crumbles before our eyes, we must remember that we are powerful people. We already have the systems and cultures we need as we look towards the New World.
Látí parí sísọ Òyìnbó, lẹ́hìn ọdún márùn-ún láì sọ Yorùbá púpọ̀, mo rí i pé gbigbón mi lókè jù ti tẹ́lẹ̀ lọ, àti pé èrò ọ̀dì mi ti fẹ́ tán. Nítorí gbogbo èrò ọ̀dì mi, Òyìnbó ni wọ́n. Mo ń rilara bí ara mi nígbà tí mo ń sọ Yorùbá. Sísọ Yorùbá sí ọ̀kàn mi gidi gidi, ó sì jẹ́ kí Ọlọ́run nínú mi wà sọ́fẹ̀.
After one day of speaking Yoruba without speaking English, I realized that my vibration was higher than before, and my negative thoughts had almost disappeared. My negative thoughts were in English. I feel like myself when I speak Yoruba. Speaking Yoruba deeply touches my heart and allows God's voice within me to be heard.
Nǹkan tó yà mí lẹ́nu ni pé gbogbo àwùjọ mi bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí ní kọ́ Yorùbá. Nínú ọjọ́ méjì, àwọn ní Sangha House (ní Buddhist Temple dudu tí mo wà) bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí ní kọ́ ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ọ̀rọ̀ Yorùbá pẹ̀lú ìdùnú, bí a ṣe ń lo GPT àti Google Translate láti bá ara wa sọ̀rọ̀. Mo dúpẹ́ fún Sangha tó fẹ́hìntì mi pẹ̀lú ìwárí àti ìfẹ́ nínú igba tí èmi náà bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí ní bèèrè boya wèrè le mi.
What amazed me is that my entire community started learning Yoruba. In two days, those at Sangha House (at the Black Buddhist Temple where I am) began learning many Yoruba words with excitement, as we used GPT and Google Translate to communicate. I am grateful to Sangha for supporting me with curiosity and love, even as I started questioning if I was crazy.
Mo dúpẹ́ fún ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ oníwádìí àti onisọ ede tó jẹ́ kí ChatGPT, Claude àti Google Translate ní ìmọ́lẹ̀ Yorùbá tó pọ̀. Mo dúpẹ́ fún àwọn tó ń kọ́ wa nípa ọ̀nà Superlearning láti tètè gbọ́ èdè.
I am grateful to the many researchers and linguists who have made ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Translate so knowledgeable in Yoruba. I am grateful to those teaching us about Superlearning methods to quickly grasp languages.
Òmìnira láti inú tí mo ń lérò nítorí sísọ Yorùbá, mo fẹ́ kí ìwọ náà lè gbà yẹn. Bóyá Yorùbá tàbí èdè mìíràn ló fẹ́ kọ́, ẹgbẹ́ wa fẹ́ fẹ́hìntì ẹ. Awa gbọ́dọ̀ pé pẹ̀lú ìmọ́lẹ̀ tó wà nínú àwọn èdè tiwa, pẹ̀lú àwọn èrò amayedórùn tí a ń kọ́, a kò ni lati dúró fún òmìnira wa.
The inner freedom I feel from speaking Yoruba, I want you to experience that too. Whether you want to learn Yoruba or another language, our group wants to support you. We believe that with the light within our languages and the technological advancements we are developing, we don’t have to wait for our freedom.
Eyokan ninu awon Olùkọ́ Yorùbá tí mo fẹ́ràn jù ti gba láti bá mi kọ́ àwùjọ wa. Ọjọ́ Àìkú tó ń bọ̀, a máa ṣe ẹ̀kọ́ Yorùbá ní Zoom, ibi tí ìwọ lè ko bawo mo se n lo awon irinṣẹ̀ láti kọ́ Yorùbá kiakia.
Pàdé wa ni be! Ijoko lopin!
One of my favorite Yoruba teachers has agreed to help teach our community. This coming Sunday, we will have Yoruba lessons on Zoom, where you can learn how I use these tools to learn Yoruba quickly.
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