One of my favorite poems as a young school boy growing up in Africa is a Yoruba poem titled “Ise l’ogun ise,” translated Work is the

Work is the medication for poverty

medication or antidote for poverty.  The first “Ise” means work and the  second “ise” means poverty or lack. “Ise” and “ise” are heteronyms—having the same spelling but different pronunciation and meaning. “ogun” means medicine.

Whenever I get lazy, procrastinate, or thought of watching the news instead of making the news, I remember this poem and it gives me another dose of determination. Here is my translation from the original Yoruba language, I hope it encourages you continue working hard on yourself:

Work is the medication for poverty

Continue to work hard my friend

Work leads to greatness.

If you don’t have anybody to help you

People might think you are lazy

And if you have nobody to rely on

Continue to work even harder on and for yourself.

If your mother is wealthy

And your father very rich

If you depend on their riches

You will be very disappointed—I tell you.

The things you do not labor for

Will not last long

The things you work hard to achieve

Are what really lasts.

Your arms are your family

Your elbows are your relatives.

If people like to you today

As long as you have money,

They will continue to look for you.

If you are in an enviable position

People will respect you with smiles on their face.

If you lose your wealth and become poor

The same people will start to mock you.

Education can also take you to the top

Do everything to get educated

If you see a lot of people joking with their studies

I beg you not to join them in doing the same.

A person that will not seek wisdom will suffer

The one that is wasting his youth will cry in the end

Don’t joke with your youth my friend

Continue to work hard because time is running out.

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