(DEDICATED TO MY PARENTS)
Osemwenoyenmwen Ogbemudia
O Hausa camel loaded with wheat
Up and down goes your hump
Rhythm is thy watchword
Strong and wide are your hooves
Thy destination is your concern
Never tiring I admire you
I admire your courage
In the sun or rain
You are ever strong
Come harmattan, dry or raining season
You keep on working
Your tough skin your armour keeping you protected
I admire your courage
Blessed with a natural reservoir
Your bear the thirst in the desert
You are not disturbed by the desert sand storms
Your great hooves not swallowed by the sand dunes
Your back is not broken by the burden
You hide thy sagely wisdom behind a meek face
Who wants to know all about carrier work?
Ask the camel!
Who wants to know all the routes in the desert?
He will tell you! The wise road master knows them all
Who would like to know about the secret of endurance?
How to bear the scorching heat and acute thirst of the desert?
Ask the camel
The signs of rain, heat and cold he knows
He can see the four winds blowing
His ears do detect the whistling of the wind
He smells the sand and never misses the way
Grass is his food it does not choke him!
He bears his burden with feline grace
His wide hooves work paths in strange places
He is a habitual water store
He eats grass like his mates
But he is the greatest of them all