Sun and Rainፀሐይና ዝናብ
Amharaአማራ · 1 min readደቂቃ ንባብ
Narrated by Worku Mersha
Kenjazmach{footnote}Kenjazmach (or Qegnazmach) is a title meaning the commander of the right wing of an army.Kenjazmach (or Qegnazmach) is a title meaning the commander of the right wing of an army.{/footnote} Sewnate, while Dejazmach{footnote}Dejazmach, originally meaning “Keeper or Commander of the Gate”, came to mean the commander of the central body of an army.{/footnote} Tsehayu was ruling Gojjam, went to petition him.
It was raining, and Dejazmach Tsehayu called "Kenjazmach, come in here out of the rain.”
Kenjazmach Sewnate answered, “The one that is affecting me is Tsehayu{footnote}“Tsehay” means “sun” in the Amharic language.{footnote}, not the rain.”
ፀሐይና ዝናብ
በወርቁ መርሻ የተተረከ
ቀኝ አዝማች ሰውነቴ የጎጃም አገረ ገዢ ወደነበሩት ደጅ አዝማች ፀሀዩ ዘንድ ለአቤቱታ ይሄዳሉ፡፡ ታዲያ ዝናብ ይዘንብ ስለነበር ደጅአዝማች ፀሃዩ “ቀኝ አዝማች! ከዝናብ ውስጥ ይግቡ::” ቢሏቸው ቀኝ አዝማች ሰውነቴም “እኔን እየጎዳኝ ያለው ፀሃዩ ነው፡፡” ብለው መለሱላቸው ይባላል፡፡
In the original voice — hear tales from Amharaአማራ, told in Amharic. Listen ›
Check your understandingግንዛቤዎን ይፈትሹ
Who was ruling Gojjam in this story?
What was the weather like when the two men met?
Why did Kenjazmach Sewnate go to see Dejazmach Tsehayu?
What did Dejazmach Tsehayu invite Kenjazmach to do?
What does the name 'Tsehay' mean in the Amharic language?
According to Kenjazmach Sewnate, what was really affecting him?
For discussionለውይይት
- Kenjazmach Sewnate made a clever play on words with the name 'Tsehayu'. Can you explain the joke he was making?
- Why do you think Kenjazmach said the sun, and not the rain, was affecting him? What might he really have meant?
- What does this story show you about how clever people can use words to make a point?
- If you could give this short story a new title, what would you choose and why?