A Traditional Poem

SALUTE TO THE ELEPHANT

O elephant, possessor of a savings-basket full of money 
O elephant, huge as a hill even in a crouching posture. 
O elephant, enfolded by honour; demon, flapping fans of war. 
Demon who snaps tree branches into many pieces and moves on 
  to the forest farm. 
O elephant who ignores, "I have fled to my father for refuge", 
let alone "to my mother". 
Mountainous animal, huge beast who tears a man like a garment 
and hangs him up on a tree.
The sight of whom causes people to stampede towards a hill of 
  safety. 
My chant is a Salute to the elephant.
Ajanaku who walks with a heavy tread.
Demon who swallows palm-fruit bunches whole, even with the 
  spiky pistil-cells.
O elephant, praisenamed Laaye, massive animal, blackish-grey in
  complexion.
O elephant, who single-handedly causes a tremor in a dense tropical 
  forest.
O elephant, who stands sturdy and alert, who walks slowly as if
  reluctantly.
O elephant, whom one sees and points towards with all one's
  fingers.
The hunter's boast at home is not repeated when he really meets
  the elephant.
The hunter's boast at home is not repeated before the elephant.
Ajanuku looks back with difficulty like a person suffering from a
  sprained neck.
The elephant has a porter's-knot without having any load on his
  head.
The elephant's head is his burden which he balances.
 O elephant, praisenamed Laaye, "O death, please stop following
  me"
This is part and parcel of the elephant's appellation.
If you wish to know the elephant, the elephant who is a veritable
  ferry-man.
The elephant whom honour matches, the elephant who continually
  swings his trunk,
His upper fly-switch.
It's the elephant whose eyes are veritable water-jars.
O elephant, the vagrant par excellence,
Whose molar teeth are as wide as palm-oil pits in Ijesaland.
O elephant, lord of the forest, respectfully called Oriiribobo
O elephant whose teeth are like shafts.
One tooth of his is a porter's load, O elephant, fondly called Otiko
Who has a beast-of-burden's proper neck.
O elephant, whom the hunter sometimes sees face to face.
O elephant, whom the hunter at other times sees from the rear.
Beast who carries mortars and yet walks with a swaggering gait.
Primeval leper, animal treading ponderously. 

The awesome beast

This poem is an Ijala (well known among the Yorubas) chant addressed to the elephant. It deals in a comprehensive way, with aspects of the animal stretching from its economic and physical properties, to its grand and destructive qualities, to people's reaction to it and admiration and the dread it inspires. Understandably, the emphasis is on the size of the animal and the amount of energy that is locked up in its frame. To bring out all these features, the poem uses hyperbole and a series of similes, as well as personification and euphemism.