An Ode To The Benin Chiefs (of old)
You provide an insight into the running of,
One of the most efficient administrative systems in the world;
King and Chiefs working hand in hand with the people,
To leave a legacy for all ages.
You flaunt not your riches,
They lie buried in the dust of age in store rooms,
In compound wells and on ancestral alters;
Diamond, gold or silver, appeal not to you.
You worship your head,
Which controls all your bodily functions,
Your intelligence is held in your head; therefore,
You celebrate this annually in the Ague festival.
Your lesson to the world is,
Brains and intelligence,
Are what matter most in this life;
All earthly riches not.
You are an inspiration for,
All peoples,
All cultures,
Through all times.
All hail the Benin chiefs (of old).
