‘Subammɔne Yi A Ɛne Tawanom No’

‘ANIWA kyi, ɛhwene tan, epira amemene, ɛyɛ asiane ma ahrawa’

Nsɛm a wɔkyerɛw bɛyɛ mfe ahanan a atwam yi na ewie tawanom ho ɔkasatia a wɔtoo din A Counterblaste to Tobacco, a onipa titiriw, England Hene James I, a ɔhwɛ ma wɔkyerɛw 1611 Bible nkyerɛase a wɔfrɛ no King James Nkyerɛase no ankasa kyerɛwee no.

Dɛn na ɛma ɔkyerɛw eyi, na dɛn na yebetumi asua afi mu?

Aduruyɛ ne Dwumadi Afoforo

Bere a Christopher Columbus san baa Europa wɔ Amerika a ɔkɔe wɔ 1492 mu akyi no, ɔde afifide a ɛyɛ aduru a ɛsom bo yiye ma Amerika Indiafo yi aba bae. Akyiri yi, Nicholas Monardes frɛɛ ahaban yi tobaco (anaasɛ picielt sɛnea Indiafo no frɛɛ no no) . Ná Spaniafo akofofo nkonimdifo no nim sɛnea etumi kum wɔn apirakuru, na ‘wɔde saa wɔn ho yare pii.​—Joyful News Out of the New Found World, Engiresi nkyerɛase a John Frampton yɛe, 1577.

Nanso, dwuma biako a wɔde ahaban yi di titiriw na ɛmaa nnipa a wokyinkyin hwehwɛ nsase afoforo no ani gyee ho. Monards kyerɛkyerɛ mu sɛ:

“Anwonwade biako a ɛwɔ ahaban yi ho, a ɛma ho yɛ anigye ne sɛnea Indiafo Akɔmfo no de di dwuma no. Sɛ asɛnhia bi ba Indiafo no mu a ɛsɛ sɛ wobisa Akɔmfo no a, wɔn Kɔmfo panyin no fa Tawa nhaban no bi de gu ogya mu, na ɔde ɔdoroben twe ne wusiw no fa n’anom ne ne hwene mu, na sɛ ɔnom a ɔhwe fam sɛ owufo, na ɔda hɔ bere tenten sɛnea wusiw dodow a wanom no te. Sɛ ahaban no yɛ n’adwuma wie a, n’aniso tetew no na onyan, na ɔde mmuae no ma wɔn sɛnea anisoadehu ahorow a onyae no kyerɛ. Na saa ara na Indiafo a aka no nso nom tawa no de gye wɔn ani.

Owura Walter Raleigh dii Virginia so nkonim wɔ 1584 mu. Bere a ɔman no reyɛ kɛse no, wɔn a wɔtraa hɔ no nso suaa Indiafo amanne a ɛne tawanom no. Abakɔsɛm kyerɛwfo A. L. Rowse ka sɛ wɔ England no, ‘Raleigh titiriw na ɔde adeyɛ no baa hɔ, na ɔboaa ne yɛ.’

“Ɔkasatia” No

Nanso, ɔhene James ankasa sɔre tiaa suban foforo yi. Ɔde kyerɛwdua too nhoma so na ɔbɔɔ ne nkoa tawanom mu asiane ho kɔkɔ.

‘Nea ɛbɛyɛ na wɔahu subammɔne a ɛne Tawa a wɔnom yi mu yiye no, nea edi kan no, ɛbɛyɛ papa sɛ wɔhwehwɛ ne fibea a edi kan ne nea enti a edii kan baa ɔman yi mu no nyinaa mu.’ Saa na wofii Ɔkasatia a agye din no ase. Bere a James hwehwɛɛ nea ɔfrɛɛ no ‘amanne a ennye na asɛe a ɛne tawa a wɔnom de sa yare no mu awie no, ɔkyerɛɛ nsɛm anan a nkurɔfo de yi wɔn ho ano wɔ adeyɛ no ho no:

1. Ne sɛ nnipa amemene yɛ wiriduu na afɔw, ma enti nneɛma a ɛyɛ wosee na ɛhyehye nyinaa (te sɛ tawa wusiw) ye ma wɔn.

2. Ne sɛ ɛdenam wusiw yi hyehye, ahoɔden ne ne su so no, ɛsɛ sɛ ɛsa ɔpakum ne yafunu yare nyinaa.

3. Ne sɛ sɛ nkurɔfo nnyaa adeyɛ yi mu osuahu sɛ eye ma wɔn a, anka wɔrenyɛ.

4. Ne sɛ ɛsa nkurɔfo pii yare na tawanom mpiraa obiara da.

Akyinnye biara nni ho sɛ, esiane nnɛyi nyansahu mu nimdeɛ nti, wubegye James ɔkasatia no atom yiye. Ɛnyɛ sɛ tawa wusiw hyehye na emu yɛ wosee nko, na mmom ‘ɛwɔ awuduru bi ka ne hyehye no ho.’ ‘Mfaso biara nni wusiw yi a wɔnom sɛ wɔde resa ɔpakum no so, te sɛ nea wuntumi nnwe nam na wonnom nsã sɛ wode resa ayamkaw no ara pɛ!’ Ebia nnipa bi bɛka sɛ wɔanom tawa mfe pii nanso wonnyaa ɔyare biara ɛ, nanso so ɛno ma tawanom yɛ adepa?

James kae tumi so sɛ ‘ɛwom sɛ ebia mpanyimfo a wɔyɛ nguaman bɛka sɛ wɔatumi atra ase akyɛ esiane wɔn ɔbrabɔne nneyɛe no nti de, nanso wobu wɔn ani gu nokwasɛm a ɛyɛ sɛ nguaman pii wu ntɛm’ esiane mmaninyare a wonya no nti. Na mpanyimfo asãbofo a wogye di sɛ ‘aduan biara a wotumi di bi’ no nti wɔkyɛ wu, a wonsusuw nnipa dodow a ‘asanom mene wɔn ma wowu ntɛm’ ho no nso ɛ?

Bɔne ne Ahuhude

James bɔɔ asɛmpa a wɔka faa tawanom ho gui akyi no, afei ɔtwee adwene sii ‘bɔne ne ahuhude’ a wɔn a wɔnom no yɛ no so. Ɔkae sɛ eyi mu kɛse ne akɔnnɔbɔne. Esiane sɛ tawa wusiw kakraa bi a wɔtwe no mmee wɔn nti, nnipa pii hwehwɛ nea ɛdɔɔso. Nokwarem no, nicotine a nkurɔfo ntumi nnyae ne hwehwɛ no abu so.

Na ‘ahuhude’ no nso ɛ’? James bisa tawanomfo no sɛ: ‘So ɛnyɛ ahuhude kɛse ne efi nyinaa sɛ wɔ adidipon ho, beae a nidi wɔ no, mupuw wusiw fĩ a ɛbɔn na mo sɛe mframa, bere a afoforo a wɔwɔ hɔ kyi adeyɛ no?’

Te sɛ nea James nim asiane ahorow a tawanomfo hyia nnɛ no, ɔka sɛ: ‘Nokwarem no wusiw fata mukaase yiye koraa sen adidibea, na ɛtaa yɛ mukaase wɔ nnipa nipadua mu, na ɛde nkakrankakra sɛe wɔn, na epira wɔn sɛnea wɔahu wɔ wɔn a wɔnom Tawa pii no mu binom ho bere a wɔpaapae wɔn wɔ wɔn wu akyi no.’

James toa n’asɛm no so na osi so dua sɛ: ‘Ɛnyɛ sɛ eyi yɛ ahuhude nko, na mmom Onyankopɔn akyɛde pa ahorow no ho animtiaabu kɛse a ɛne mframa pa a onipa bɛhome a ɛyɛ akyɛde pa a efi Nyankopɔn hɔ a wofi wɔn pɛ mu de wusiw kãnkãn yi sɛe no!’

[Kratafa 13 mfoni]

King James I

[Asɛm Fibea]

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

[Kratafa 13 mfoni]

Sir Walter Raleigh

[Asɛm Fibea]

Courtesy of the Trustees of The British Museum