By Obotunde IJIMERE
‘Money does not prevent a man from becoming a fool.
Money does not prevent a man from becoming mad.
The red feather is the pride of the parrot.
The young leaf is the pride of the palm-tree.
The sun is the pride of heaven:
But wisdom — not money — is the pride of man!’
Olodumare (God)
Owner of the world
In the kingdom where the sun goes to rest
You sit on your throne.
You hold us in your hand
And we weigh lightly.
You only decide
Whether we may return
To challenge fate once more
On earth
Or whether — our characters beyond repair —
We’ll be condemned to the heaven of potsherds
Never to return,
Never to try again.
Truly, I am tired of the children of the world.
Their origin in heaven they forget —
Living worse than beasts.
I gave them eyes — they refuse to see.
I gave them ears — they refuse to hear.
I gave them brains — they refuse to remember.
Look at Everyman (Eda) enjoying his wealth.
He has children, he has houses, he has lorries:
And his money increases and has children;
And his money multiplies and has grandchildren.
But he forgets.
‘Money does not prevent a man from becoming a fool.
Money does not prevent a man from becoming mad.
The red feather is the pride of the parrot.
The young leaf is the pride of the palm-tree.
The sun is the pride of heaven:
But wisdom — not money — is the pride of man!’
Everyman treats money like his God:
He sacrifices his wisdom, he sacrifices his friendship,
He sacrifices his compassion;
He sacrifices every virtue to money.
He has forgotten that day in heaven
When, fifty years ago, he knelt before my throne
To receive his fate.
Then Everyman prayed for money — and his request was granted,
For he said:
Money shall be my tool to do great works:
Money shall be my bricks and my cement;
Money shall be my spade and my hoe;
Money shall be my slave — to work
For the improvement of my town!
Now I am tired of Everyman,
For he broke his promise,
He uses money to destroy — not to build.
Instead of building his town — he rules it…
Instead of helping his people — he buys them.
Instead of sharing his wealth — he hoards it.
Therefore, I have decided
A sudden judgment day I will hold
And deal with Everyman according to his merit.
Iku! Iku! (Death! Death!)
My Lord!
Owner of the sun, owner of the sky, owner of the world
Nobody knows your father,
The liars are only lying;
Nobody knows your mother,
The liars are only lying.
Iku,
You the most faithful of all my servants!
Go you to Everyman with my urgent message:
He must set out on a pilgrimage at once
Today, this very hour, do I want to see him
Before my throne.
Without delay he must appear
And let him bring his book of accounts.
My Lord,
I shall run through the whole world
And I will visit all those who do not
Know your laws, I will find them in every
Nook and cranny of the world, those
Who have forgotten their promises
Made before they were born!
And I shall strike them suddenly
And hard; and their eyes will break
And their knees collapse, and their blood
Will curdle. And without delay,
They must set out on their pilgrimage.
Judgement Day for Everyman is an extract from Everyman, one of the plays in The Imprisonment of Obatala and Other Plays by ‘Obotunde Ijimere’ a.k.a Ulli Beier, Heinemann, 1966.
Owner of the world
In the kingdom where the sun goes to rest
You sit on your throne.
You hold us in your hand
And we weigh lightly.
You only decide
Whether we may return
To challenge fate once more
On earth
Or whether — our characters beyond repair —
We’ll be condemned to the heaven of potsherds
Never to return,
Never to try again.
Truly, I am tired of the children of the world.
Their origin in heaven they forget —
Living worse than beasts.
I gave them eyes — they refuse to see.
I gave them ears — they refuse to hear.
I gave them brains — they refuse to remember.
Look at Everyman (Eda) enjoying his wealth.
He has children, he has houses, he has lorries:
And his money increases and has children;
And his money multiplies and has grandchildren.
But he forgets.
‘Money does not prevent a man from becoming a fool.
Money does not prevent a man from becoming mad.
The red feather is the pride of the parrot.
The young leaf is the pride of the palm-tree.
The sun is the pride of heaven:
But wisdom — not money — is the pride of man!’
Everyman treats money like his God:
He sacrifices his wisdom, he sacrifices his friendship,
He sacrifices his compassion;
He sacrifices every virtue to money.
He has forgotten that day in heaven
When, fifty years ago, he knelt before my throne
To receive his fate.
Then Everyman prayed for money — and his request was granted,
For he said:
Money shall be my tool to do great works:
Money shall be my bricks and my cement;
Money shall be my spade and my hoe;
Money shall be my slave — to work
For the improvement of my town!
Now I am tired of Everyman,
For he broke his promise,
He uses money to destroy — not to build.
Instead of building his town — he rules it…
Instead of helping his people — he buys them.
Instead of sharing his wealth — he hoards it.
Therefore, I have decided
A sudden judgment day I will hold
And deal with Everyman according to his merit.
Iku! Iku! (Death! Death!)
My Lord!
Owner of the sun, owner of the sky, owner of the world
Nobody knows your father,
The liars are only lying;
Nobody knows your mother,
The liars are only lying.
Iku,
You the most faithful of all my servants!
Go you to Everyman with my urgent message:
He must set out on a pilgrimage at once
Today, this very hour, do I want to see him
Before my throne.
Without delay he must appear
And let him bring his book of accounts.
My Lord,
I shall run through the whole world
And I will visit all those who do not
Know your laws, I will find them in every
Nook and cranny of the world, those
Who have forgotten their promises
Made before they were born!
And I shall strike them suddenly
And hard; and their eyes will break
And their knees collapse, and their blood
Will curdle. And without delay,
They must set out on their pilgrimage.
Judgement Day for Everyman is an extract from Everyman, one of the plays in The Imprisonment of Obatala and Other Plays by ‘Obotunde Ijimere’ a.k.a Ulli Beier, Heinemann, 1966.
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