Mr. Cocoji
Ms. Melissa Nambangi wrote about this song, "Quite nonsensical, if you ask me, but we enjoyed singing it as children!"
Mr. Cocoji
Mr. Cocoji
Children's Song
Children's Song
(Cameroonian Pidgin English)
(English)
Version from the north west province
Mr. cocoji
ih begin di follow goat
ih nack ih oneside jiga
ih one side belle high
Version from the south west province
Mr.cocoji
ih begin di follow goat
ih nack i foot for jigija*
ih one side belle high.
Version from the north west province
Mr. Cocoji
Was trying to catch a goat.
He hit his foot* & with the jigger** in it,
And one side of his tummy swelled up.
Version from the south west province
Mr. Cocoji
Was trying to catch a goat.
He stubbed his toe* on a waist-bead***,
And one side of his tummy swelled up.
Notes
*"Foot" is used in pidgin English for "foot" as well as "toe".
**The jigger or chigger is a small horrid pest found in some dusty areas of the country and when they burrow into the skin, usually the toes, they hurt really badly till they are taken out.
***Ms. Melissa Nambangi wrote, "I realized that the South-West version says: 'E nack i foot for jigija'. The 'jigija' is the name for the waist-beads that young girls wore in strings around their waist long ago. Some African countries still do this during certain coming of age rituals." The right translation for this line is: "He stubbed his toe/foot on a waist-bead" or "He hit his foot on a waist-bead."
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Ango Fomuso Ekellem for contributing this song, and to Ms. Melissa Nambangi for the translation and comments.
Thanks so much!