Metekù Metekù

Metekù

C'era una volta un giovane chiamato Metekù. Nonostante fosse
orfano I suoi vicini desideravano la sua scomparsa. Un giorno,
quando era fuori di casa sua, i vicini ammazzarono l'unico bue che aveva e si divisero la carne tra di loro. Perché capisse che il suo bue non era stato vittima delle iene gli lasciarono la pelle presso la sua porta. Egli capì chi erano i suoi nemici, ma senza dir niente andò a vendere la pelle del suo bue nei villaggi. Ma nessuno voleva comprargliela. Girovagò per tutta la settimana e la pelle si era seccata. Approfittando della sua assenza i suoi vicini gli incendiarono la casa.
Metekù cominciò il cammino verso casa. Prima che raggiungesse il suo villaggio diventò buio e si sistemò su un albero per non essere preda delle iene e degli altri animali feroci.
Sotto lo stesso albero decisero di riposarsi un gruppo di commercianti ricchi con i loro cammelli perché nei dintorni c'era una sorgente. La notte, Metekù, cambiando di posizione, fece un rumore strano con la sua pelle secca che usava ormai come materasso. I commercianti, lungi dall'immaginare che ci potesse essere una persona sull'albero, pensarono che fosse un diavolo e scapparono via lasciando lì tutta la loro merce.
Metekù non riusciva a capire il motivo della loro fuga, ma temendo che tornassero aspettò per ben tre giorni. Quando si rese conto che essi non avevano nessuna intenzione di ritornare, decise di portare le loro ricchezze al mercato del capoluogo e in pochi giorni diventò ricco. Al suo ritorno non serbò rancore per ciò che gli aevano combinato e si fece costruire una casa simile a quella dei re. I suoi vicini non capivano il mistero. All'inaugurazione della sua nuova casa invitò tutta la gente del paese, compresi i vicini, e quelli gli chiesero l'origine della sua ricchezza. Egli rispose loro: «Grazie alla pelle del mio bue». E loro per essere ricchi come lui decisero di ammazzare i loro buoi e vendere le pelli. Ma non riuscirono a guadagnare piu di quanto valesse la pelle.
Poi uno di loro pensò che se avessero bruciato le loro case sarebbero riusciti a diventare ricchi come Metekù. Tutti allora bruciarono le loro case. Ma nessuna ricchezza ne derivò. Senza tetto e poveri cominciarono a chiedere l'elemosina. Ma Metekù ebbe pietà di loro e fece ricostruire le loro case.
La saggezza e bontà di Metekù fu conosciuta in tutto il paese. Una giovana principessa del suo paese chiese al padre di farglielo conoscere.
Quando si presentò, la principessa, oltre che dalla sua saggezza, venne colpita anche dalla sua bellezza. E lo sposò nonostante lui non avesse fatto cose eroiche.
 

Metekù

Once upon a time there lived a young man called Metekù. Even
though he was an orphan, his neighbours wanted to get rid of him.
One day when he was out, the neighbours killed his only bull and divided the meat between them. To make it clear that the bull hadn't been killed by hyenas, they left its hide on his doorstep. He knew who his enemies were but, without a word, he left the village to sell the hide. Nobody wanted to buy it. He wandered around for a week until the hide was dry. Taking advantage of his absence, the neighbours burned his house down. Metekù began walking home. Before he reached his village, it got dark, so he climbed a tree to sleep out of reach of the hyenas and other wild beasts.
A group of merchants and their camels had decided to sleep under that very tree because it stood near a spring. During the night, Metekù made strange noises tossing and turning as he slept because he was using the hide as his mattress. The merchants, not imagining there was a man above them in the tree, thought it was the devil - and they fled, leaving all their goods behind.
Metekù had no idea why they'd gone, but fearing their return, he waited for three days. Once he realised they had no intention of coming back, he decided to take all their valuables to the market town, and he became rich in the space of a few days. When he returned to his village, he bore no anger, despite what his neighbours had done, and he built himself a house as big as the king's. He invited the whole village to his housewarming, including the neighbours, and they asked him how he made his fortune. Metekù replied, 'It's all thanks to the hide of my bull'. And so, in order to be as rich as him, they decided to slaughter their own bulls and sell their hides. But they were unable to sell them for more than they were worth.
Then one of them thought that if they burned down their houses, they'd be as rich as Metekù. So, everyone burned their houses down. But no such luck. Homeless and poor, they had to beg for alms. But Metekù took pity on them and he built them new homes.
News of the wisdom and generosity of Metekù spread far and wide. A young princess asked her father if she could meet him.
When they met, the princess was struck not only by his wisdom, but also by his beauty. And she married him, even though he had never performed a single heroic deed.
 

Metekù

There was once a youth named Metekù. Even though he was an orphan, his neighbours wanted him dead. One day, when he was outside his
house, the neighbours killed the only bull he owned and divided its meat between them. So that he understood that the bull had not fallen victim to the hyenas, they left its hide by his door. He understood who were his enemies, but without saying a word he went to sell the hide of his bull in the villages. But nobody wanted to buy it from him. He wandered for the whole week and the hide dried. Taking advantage of his departure, his neighbours burned down his house.
Metekù started walking towards home. Before he reached his village, it became dark and he climbed up a tree in order to sleep so as to not be a prey to the hyenas and other ferocious animals.
Under that very tree, a group of merchants and their camels decided to sleep there too because there was a spring of water nearby. At night, while shuffling in his sleep, Metekù made a strange noise with the dried hide that he was now using as a mattress. The merchant, far from thinking there was a man on the tree above them, thought that it was the devil and they fled, leaving all their good behind.
Metekù could not understand the reason for their flight, but fearing that they would come back, he waited for three days. When he understood that they had no intention of doing so, he decided to take all their riches to the market of the province's biggest town, and became rich over the course of a few days. On his return, he bore no anger for what they had done to him and he had himself a house built that was similar to that of the King's. At the warming ceremony of his new abode, he invited everyone from the village, including the neighbours, and they asked him the origins of his wealth. He replied "Thanks to the hide of my bull" And so in order to be as rich as him, they decided to kill their own bulls and to sell their hides. But they couldn't earn more than the hides were worth.
Then one of them thought that if they too burned down their houses, they would become as rich as Metekù. Everyone then burned down their houses. But no wealth came of it. Homeless and poor, they began to beg for alms. But Metekù took pity on them and had new houses built for them.
The wisdom and goodwill of Metekù spread far and wide. A young princess in his country asked her father to allow her to meet him.
When he presented himself, the princess was struck not only by his wisdom, but also by his beauty. And she married him even though he had never done any heroic deeds.
 

Original Poem by

Ribka Sibhatu

Translated by

André Naffis-Sahely with The Poetry Translation Workshop Language

Italian

Country

Eritrea