Verse 1: I'm the Kawo Tona Gaga, ruler of Wolaita My dynasty, Tigre, we were the last to thrive Built ties with the Jimma kingdom, Abba Jifar's daughter my bride But I don't bow to Shewa, I refuse to pay tribute

Chorus: I'm the king of Wolaita, a warrior through and through My land won't be conquered, my people won't be subdued Tona Gaga, the name that strikes fear in my foes My reign may end, but my legacy forever glows

Verse 2: I tried to make the Kullo and Konta my vassals But Wolde Gyorgis marched and made them his hassles Menelik II demanded tribute, I refused the demand My fortifications ready, I won't back down or disband

Chorus: I'm the king of Wolaita, a warrior through and through My land won't be conquered, my people won't be subdued Tona Gaga, the name that strikes fear in my foes My reign may end, but my legacy forever glows

Verse 3: The Ethiopians came, the battle lines were drawn Trenches and mounds, my defenses like dawn But eventually, they pushed me out of my stronghold Caught between them and Oromo auxiliaries, I was sold

Chorus: I'm the king of Wolaita, a warrior through and through My land won't be conquered, my people won't be subdued Tona Gaga, the name that strikes fear in my foes My reign may end, but my legacy forever glows

Verse 4: Tekle Haymanot, that's what they baptized me Made governor by Menelik II, his ally you see I fought beside him, in multiple campaigns My legacy lives on, in the annals of Ethiopian plains

Chorus: I'm the king of Wolaita, a warrior through and through My land won't be conquered, my people won't be subdued Tona Gaga, the name that strikes fear in my foes My reign may end, but my legacy forever glows. Verse 5: Damot civilization, proud and ancient, we stand In Southern Ethiopia, our home, our land We traded with the Swahili, and Arab merchants too Made stunning art and pottery, our skills the world knew

Chorus: We are the people of Damot, our heritage we cherish Our legacy, our culture, our history we nourish Proud and strong, we stand together as one Our voice, our story, forever to be sung

Verse 6: As a kingdom, we rose to power, our armies brave and true Conquered the Sidama, Gurage, and Gamo too But we also forged alliances, with those who shared our cause Together we resisted, our enemies' tyrannical claws

Chorus: We are the people of Damot, our heritage we cherish Our legacy, our culture, our history we nourish Proud and strong, we stand together as one Our voice, our story, forever to be sung

Verse 7: Our kingdom may have fallen, our rulers long gone But our spirit lives on, in the hearts of everyone For Damot civilization, is more than just a name It's a legacy of resilience, courage, and fame

Chorus: We are the people of Damot, our heritage we cherish Our legacy, our culture, our history we nourish Proud and strong, we stand together as one Our voice, our story, forever to be sung. From the south of Ethiopia, to the world we send our voice, We are the people of Damot, our story is our choice, From warriors and kings, to artists and crafts, Our legacy remains intact, despite the many drafts.

Chorus:

We are the people of Damot, our heritage we cherish, Our legacy, our culture, our history we nourish, Proud and strong, we stand together as one, Our voice, our story, forever to be sung.

Verse 9:

We may have fallen once, but we rise again anew, With our heads held high, and our spirits never subdued, For our people's strength, and resilience never wavered, Our traditions, language, and stories forever engraved.

Chorus:

We are the people of Damot, our heritage we cherish, Our legacy, our culture, our history we nourish, Proud and strong, we stand together as one, Our voice, our story, forever to be sung.

Verse 10:

So let the world hear our tale, the story of our land, Of Tona Gaga, Wolde Gyorgis, and the kingdom we command, Of our art, our trade, and the culture we maintain, Damot civilization, forever shall remain.

Chorus:

We are the people of Damot, our heritage we cherish, Our legacy, our culture, our history we nourish, Proud and strong, we stand together as one, Our voice, our story, forever to be sung.

Summary

Licensing

This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer. You must also include a United States public domain tag to indicate why this work is in the public domain in the United States. Note that a few countries have copyright terms longer than 70 years: Mexico has 100 years, Jamaica has 95 years, Colombia has 80 years, and Guatemala and Samoa have 75 years. This image may not be in the public domain in these countries, which moreover do not implement the rule of the shorter term. Honduras has a general copyright term of 75 years, but it does implement the rule of the shorter term. Copyright may extend on works created by French who died for France in World War II (more information), Russians who served in the Eastern Front of World War II (known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia) and posthumously rehabilitated victims of Soviet repressions (more information).

This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights.

https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/PDMCreative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0falsefalse