Luganda:

Mubbi Bubbi

by Maro feat. David Lutalo

 

 

She made up her mind

She truly says she wants to go

 

Tasiba zikweya

She doesn’t tie lose knots.

– (she’s determined)

 

Ne looya aleese empapula nsayininge

And the lawyer has brought the papers for me to sign

– okusayninga = to sign (from English)

 

Ebbanga ly’amaze anfumbira

During all this time she was married to me

– Ebbanga ly’amaze = lit.: The period of time that she finished (= had been)

– okufumbira = from “okufumba” = to cook; lit.: “to cook for someone”

 

Ng’anfumbira n’obwongo

She was married to me while making other plans.

à lit.: She was married to me with brains

– Ng’anfumbira = Nga anfumbira (nga is untranslatable, can mean “like”)

 

Ensigo ze nalinga nsiga

The seeds that I was planting.

 

Azikungula lwaleero

She is harvesting them today.

 

Neetonze… Byona abiganye, ayagala nkikole ntya?

I’ve asked her for forgiveness… She refused all of my suggestions/apologiezes (lit.: words), what does she want me to do?

– neetonze = can mean both “I’m sorry” and “I’ve apologized”

– Byona abiganye = lit.: “she refused them all”, what is meant by “them” is ambigious, it could be words, suggestions, apologizes, etc (anything from the –(e)bi class)

– nkikole ntya = lit.: how do I do it?

 

Munno ojje ne lawyer

Your friend you should come with a lawyer.

 

Tebaliwo nga nsalawo twewase

They weren’t around when I decided that we should get married.

 

Nkoze ebibi, nkoze ebilungi

I did bad things, I did good things.

 

Nsonyiwa…

Forgive me…

 

Nkoze ebirungi bingi baby

I did lots of good things baby.

 

Era oyagala nkaabe?

Do you still want me to cry?

 

Bw’opima pima pima pima

If you weigh (it) weigh weigh weigh

 

Ebirungi bizitowa kyenda

The good (things) weigh 90

 

Ebirungi bizitowa kyenda

The good (things) weigh 90

 

It’s okay, the way you want it, it’s how it’s gonna be

 

Kankuleke, omulungi owange tanannazaalibwa ate

Let me let go of you, the person that’s good for me hasn’t been born yet, and..

 

It is okay bw’oba nga ky’okwatako, kye wajja nakyo…

It is okay if you touch something that you came with…

 

Mubbi bubbi, yajja n’akaveera

She is nothing more than a thief, she came with (just) a plastic bag

– Mubbi bubbi = Note how the reduplication of a verb or noun carries the meaning “just”, like:

okulaba obulabi = to just look

okugenda obugenzi = to just walk

okubuuza obubuuza = to just ask

mukulu bukulu = he is just mature

mukadde bukadde = he is just old

 

Lwaki aleeta loole

Why is she bringing the truck?

 

Ono munyazi bunyazi ssebo

That one is nothing more than a buggler, mister

 

Entuuyo zange asazewo atwale

My sweat (= the things I worked for really hard), she has decided to take them (with her).

 

Mubbi bubbi, yajja n’akaveera

She is nothing more than a thief, she came with (just) a plastic bag

 

Lwaki aleese loole

Why did she bring a truck?

 

Ono munyazi bunyazi ssebo

That one is nothing more than a buggler, mister

 

Entuuyo zange asazewo atwale

My sweat (= the things I worked for really hard), she has decided to take them (with her).

 

Nze sirina kye nnina

I don’t have anything at all.

– lit.: I don’t have anything that I have.

 

Empale mwendi gyembala

The trousers that I’m wearing (are my only ones)

 

Eyalinanga amaka

(Me), the one who used to have a house

 

Kati ku bbala kwe nsula

now the street is where I’m sleeping.

 

Tewali ky’alina

She doesn’t have anything

– lit.: There’s nothing (that) she has

 

Yali na mu busapatu bwabbulu

She was wearing (only) blue flipflops

 

N’ankabira amaziga bwati

And she is crying tears for me (like this)

 

Ng’olaba enaku emuluma

You could see how much she was in pain.

Lit.: You see (how much) sadness is hurting her

 

Mbu maama yaffa, ne taata yaffa

(Namely) Mommy died, and Daddy died (as well)

– mbu = that, namely, like “nti” but implies uncertainty or doubt

 

Ensi ngirimu nga bwendi

I’m in this world the way I am.

 

Nasomba amata

I brought milk

 

Omwana yanywa

the child drank

 

Naye y’andeka ndi masikini

But she’s leaving me, I’m a wretched fellow

 

Eyali talina yadde sikati

The one who once didn’t even have a skirt

 

Y’andabisiza obubi bwenti

She made me look this bad.

 

Ewange yajja kuyiga kubo, w’anabbira

She came to my place to learn how to steal, she stole it from me.

 

Bwoba ng’osobola, nkimanyi osobola

If you could just, I know you can do it

 

Baby, can you please don’t go?

 

Siganye okunoba, naye nga nkusaba

I didn’t prevent (lit.: deny)  you from running away, but I’m begging you

 

Baby can you give me some time?

 

Baby, baby boo

 

This is unfair

 

Kino kiri unfair

This is unfair

 

This is unfair, baby