Observation

Above is a question on the book Kowa Ya Sha Kiɗa (Oral Poetry). The candidate is required to explain with one example each, the themes of flattering and egocentric speech which are commonly observed in the court musians songs. The candidates’ response should be as follows:

       Roqo:
Yana xaya daga cikin jigogin makaxan sarauta. Idan sun so su sami wani abu a wajen ubangidansu, sau da yawa, ba sa tambaya kai tsaye, sai yayin da suke yi masa kixa. A nan ne suke sako wannan buqatar tasu a kaikaice. Da farko, za su yi wata hikimar da za su haxa da roqon abin da suke so. Misali, Ibrahim Narambaxa yana cewa:

                        Ahmadu naka lokacin dabba mai koma,
                        Zamaninka na ajiye kuramen sunag gero,
                        Manyan riguna akwai qarfe nai shanu,
                        To bana doki bakwai garan hab barga na yi,
                        Ai duk matan gidanmu sun sai goran tatsa,
                        To kowace na da nagge sauran matak kurma.

                        Koxa kai:

     Makaxan sarauta suna da fasaha wajen koxa kansu, su wasa kansu a cikin waqoqinsu. Idan kuma za su wasa kan nasu, sukan haxa da ubangidansu. Su nuna cewa ba kamarsa a cikin duk sarakuna, kuma babu kamarsu a makaxan Hausa. Misali Musa Xanqwairo yana cewa:

                                                Duk makaxin da at tsahe nai jam’i,
                                                Hab baqi har ’yan gidan su duka,
                                                Babu mai qulla waqa kamat tawa,
                                                Ga makaxi ya qulla waqa tai,
                                                Sai a amsa mashi ba a qara mai,
                                                In niq qulla waqa a qara min,
                                                Mu huxu duk azanci gare mu,
                                                Shin qaqa mutum guda za ya radde man?

 Candidates’ performance in this question was very poor.