Batonu (Bariba) Version
Nde mɛ̀ ba doke mà tɔmbu kpuron bɛɛrɛ ka ben asaria nɛrabu sɔɔra tii mɔru ka gem wɛɛbu ka sere si na ta tasa anduniaɔ,
Nde mɛ̀ dunia sɔɔ tɔmba ǹ ki bu tɔ nun asaria ka yɛru sariru dooru doke sere ba n ye tusa n dera daa kam ya dabia ma ya duniagibu daakari seeya. Yen sɔna yé tɔnu kanamɔ n kpuro kere yera ù wa u n tii mɔ kpa ù gere yè u bwisika, u tamaa doke kpa ù narùrabu ka yaaru biru ko,
Nde mɛ̀ yè ya kere yera tem mi ba wooda swii bu tɔnum asaria nɔni doke, n wa tirasi yu ku wii deema ù ka tii yina yen sɔ ba wii yoru diisiamɔ ka ba wii takaasi mɔ̀,
Nde mɛ̀ yè ya kere yera bu nɔɔsina ka bu bɔrɔnu dam kɛ tem baa,
Nde mɛ̀ tire te sɔɔ tem tɔm bè ba. Waa ONUN yigbɛru sɔɔ ba tɔnun asarian tii, win girima ka win bɛɛrɛ, tɔn durɔ ka tɔn kurɔn nɛrabu (goo kun goo kere) kpam naanɛ kua. Ma ba yii bu (swaa kpee) ko nɛ tɔmbun waaru ta koo ka sosi, kpa bu waaru gɔsia doonɔɔrugiru mi tii mɔra kon kpa,
Nde mɛ̀ tem ka tem mɛ̀ mu, yigbɛru duuwa mɛ ka ONU ba mua bu ko mɛ̀ ba koo ko bu ka tɔnun asaria ka win tii mɔrun tii tii girima doke,
Yè ya kere yera suam tem (tia) mɛ̀ tɔnun asaria ka win tii mɔrun swaa sɔɔ, n wa mɛ̀ ba yii ba nɛ ba koo ko bu yè ko mam mam.
Mɛnnɔ bɔkɔ ge, ga yɔrasia ga nɛ:
mɛ tɔnun asaria yen andunia nɔɔsia bi bu saawa, gaa ni bweseru baatere ka tem baamɛre mu kasu mu naa, n wa tɔmbu kpuro, sɔm ko yenu ka yigbɛnu kpuro, bà n tɔnun asaria nɔɔsia bi bwisika bu asaria girima dokebu ka tii mɔru wuu swaa daasia ka keu sɔɔsibu ka sere bwisi sosibu. Kpa bu ko mɛ̀ ba koo ko n wa kpurɛ kpurɛ ba aweren temɔ, bu girima doke bi ka tii mɔɔ te sua, kpa bu ka sɔm buru ko wuu si su waa yigbɛ te sɔɔn tɔmbun tii ka tem mɛ̀ ba mɔ min tɔmbu sɔɔ.
Ba tɔmbu kpuro marawa ba tii mɔ, ba nɛ, girima ka saria sɔɔ. Ba ra bwisiku, ba dasabu mɔ, ma n weene ba n waasinɛ mɛrobisiru sɔɔ.
Baawere ko kpi u sariaba ka tii mɔɔ ni ba kpara min baruka digoo kun tuko, bwesera, wasin gɔna, durɔwa, kurɔwa, politikin beragia, n kun mɛ bwisikunu gana.
Yen biru, n ǹ koorɔ bu tem ka tem wunana politiki ka wooda swaa sɔɔ. Kà da tem min di tɔnu yarima, mu tii mɔnu mua, mu ǹ muɛ ro.
Tɔnu baawere u waarun saria mɔ ka tii mɔru, ka sere mɛ ba koo wii yina.
Ba ǹ goo yoru muamɔ, bu sere wii dendi. Ba yoru diisiabu ka yoru muaba yina.
Ba ǹ goo takaasi mɔ̀, ba ǹ ma goo nɔni swaaru sɔɔsinɔ, bu sere goo nuku kɔsuru, ka sanani ka ma sere yè n ǹ weenɛ bu tɔn wundeko ni kuaa siimaa ko.
Baawere asaria mɔ yan kpuro bu wii tuburi ù n siribun tɔnu.
Tɔmbu kpuro ba nɛwa woodan bera (swaa sɔɔ) n maa weenɛ tii yina bi ba ko ka be yina, bun saa tia bu ku goo suu wuna, n da ma ba saria ye sara, bu ka wa bu be taki di ka bu be nɔɔ kuuri be kpuro wooda ya ko be ganɛ.
Tɔnu baawere u saria mɔ ù win tem siru ye fɛagiru faaba kana ma ba wi toraa swɛɛ yi sɔɔ wooda ya wi nɔɔ ka.
N ǹ korɔ bu tɔnu yɔrasia, bu wii nua n kun mɛ bu wii tem yara.
Tɔnu baawere u saria mɔ, naa nɛbu wɔlluyee, ù win mem gere bu nɔɔ dee dee samaan nɔni, kpa siri yeru te ta ǹ gɔnnu ka yaa murenamɔ, tu wunana ù n gem mɔ, yè n win baa ka win tirasi, tora te ba ma wi waasi tà ǹ gem, sirikobu bu asaria ko.
Tɔnun waarun gari, win yɛnu win nɔɔsina ka win berusebu ya ǹ goo wa. Mɛna maa n ǹ weenɛ bu tɔnu bɛɛrɛ biasia kam sɔɔ. N weenɛ asaria yu ka tɔnu yina ka kookoo si sa sia mi.
Tɔnu baawere u ayeru mɔ: ù bwisiku nde mɛ u ki, u n dasabu mɔ, kpa ù gusunɔ sa; aye te ta dera u koo kpi ù gusunɔ saaru garu deri ù garu swii, nde mɛ u koo kpi ù gusunɔ saa wi turo, n kun mɛ sannu sannu, samaan wuswaaɔ n kun mɛ win beraɔ nde mɛ u ki.
Tɔnu baawere u saria mɔ ù gere mɛ u wa, u kun nande, kpa ù gari ka dabaaru yè u nua tem pusi mɛ u kpia ka mi u ki.
Tɔnu baawere u saria mɔ u nɔm kɛru wa, mi win baa ya waa kpuro. Ka win tem kookari, ka mi nɔɔsina yè ya waa ka tem tukun dam, n wa win waaru tan girima mɔ.
Tɔnu baawere u saria mɔ ù wɛra, u dwee, ù sɔmburu ko u ku saka sarasia, kpa ù wɛraru ka kɔsiaru giru mau sanam ka sanam.
Tɔnu baawere u saria mɔ ù ko mɛ u koo ko, tɔmbu sɔɔ ka tem tukumɔ, baayere ya n ka nɔɔ nɛ saria ka tii mɔɔ tèn gari ba kpara mi sɔɔ kpa tɔmbu ka yè sɔmburu ko.
Yè ka yè ba yii tɔnun asarian bera mi baasi, kpunaa gaa ka kookoosu gasu maa sari, si ba koo tusia nɛnɛm, tem gam, bu ka saria ka tii mɔɔ te ba kpara mi kpeera - sia pai.
Name
Batonu (Bariba)
Total Speakers
400,000
Usage by Country
Home Speakers: Benin, Nigeria
Background
It belongs to the Benue-Congo family, West Atlantic group and is spoken by 350,000 people in Benin and 60,000 in Nigeria. The people's name for themselves is Baatonu, plural Baatombu, for the language Baatonum.