Apɔnkye Is A Goat by Pure Akan ft Ayisi | #t001

Pure Akan is one of Ghana’s most celebrated contemporary artists, known for blending traditional highlife rhythms with modern musical styles. Singing predominantly in Twi, he weaves stories that reflect the struggles, resilience, and cultural pride of the Ghanaian and African people. His 2021 track, “Apɔnkye Is A Goat”, is a standout piece from his album Nyame Mma.

The title, which translates to "A Goat Is A Goat", uses the metaphor of the goat’s stubbornness to symbolize perseverance in the face of challenges. Through poetic storytelling, Pure Akan reminds listeners of the importance of self-reliance, staying true to one’s roots, and honoring family and cultural identity.

Below is the full Twi text of the song, along with its English translation, presented line by line for deeper appreciation.

click to play music.

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“Apɔnkye Is A Goat” by Pure Akan ft Ayisi

(Line-by-line translation)

Ɛnyɛ me pɛ ne sɛ w'anbɔ me me ne wo anyɛ pɛ

It’s not my will that You didn't create me to be identical to You

Wabɔ me da mu baako pɛ ɛno na ɛma me yɛ fɛ

You made me unique, and that is what makes me beautiful

Apɔnkye yɛ asoɔden

The goat is stubborn

Apɔnkye yɛ asoɔden

The goat is stubborn

Apɔnkye yɛ asoɔden

The goat is stubborn

Apɔnkye ani ɛden

The goat is determined

Mefiri maame yam baa me kwan na menim sɛ

I came from my mother’s womb knowing

Asɛdeɛ ɛda me so no mɛwie ansa Nyame afrɛ me

That I will fulfill my purpose before God calls me

Masi m'adwene pi maboa me ho na obiara nhwɛ me

I have made up my mind. I am prepared and everyone should watch me

M'anim ayɛ kusuu na magya m'abɔdwesɛ

My face is frowned, and I have left my beard to grow out

Daa ananteɛ-ananteɛ me tiri-nhwi amankyere amankyere

Roaming, roaming every day with my mangled hair

Ewia no abɔ me so ma wedeɛ me ho ani nyinaa ayɛ tumm

The sun has shone on me so much that my skin has become black

Ewia ne ba maben ma ɛrehye

Child of the sun. I'm cooked and burning

Babiara mɛfa no biara meporo me ho nson de gu nkyɛn ahh

Everywhere I go I shake off the ashes

Wahwɛ mu afrɛ me sɛ mendi kan me ne moshe

He's looked through the masses and called me to lead: I'm Moses

Mede mo bɛtwa ɛpo kɔkɔɔ no ma obiara nni mo adwen so

I’ll guide you across the red sea, so no one enslaves your minds

Mɛkyerɛ mo sɛ mondua mo aduane na

I’ll tell you to grow your own food

Makyerɛ mmofra no sɛ nokorɛ ne sɛ obiara ntumi nni yɛn so

I’ll teach the children that the truth is no one can dominate us

Ɛnyɛ me pɛ ne sɛ w'anbɔ me me ne wo anyɛ pɛ

It’s not my will that You didn't create me to be identical to you

Wabɔ me da mu baako pɛ ɛno na ɛma me yɛ fɛ

You made me unique, and that is what makes me beautiful

Wate me ato akyire sɛ ɛyɛ me na menhwɛ fie

You have picked me to stay behind to take care of home

Sɛ ɛyɛ me na menhwɛ sɛ n’asɛm a woaka ato hɔ no bɛyɛ pɛyɛ

That I am the one to ensure your spoken word will come into being

Wahyɛ me sunsum mu kena

You have strengthened my spirit

Wotu me mprɛnnsa a mɛfifi mprɛnnsa

If they uproot me thrice I will germinate thrice

Nea ɛbɛsi biara no bɛkɔ na asan abɛto me

Whatever happens will go around and return to me

Bɛkɔ na asan abɛdan me ne bɔhyɛ asase ɛne ha

Will go and come back to belong to me. His promised land is here

Next verse by Ayisi

Efie na ɛwɔ. Efie na ani ka nti nso hwɛ na pue kɔhwɛ baabi ahunu bi pɛn wɔhɔ yi abue w’ani

Home is where it is. Home is where happiness is but go out and see. Exposure is eye-opening

Ɛbɛsi ɛnnɛ wɔn fatoho ne Akwasi

Even now their example is the white man

Baabi yɛ nso yɛn nyinaa yɛkɔ hwɛ a hwan na agyina yɛakyi,

Other places are good but if we all go to look who will take care of our home

Ehh wɔguso daa wɔgye nti yɛn soma

Ehh they continue to take daily so let's send some more

Ɔdomfo-kumfo de aniteɛ dɛn nti a

The frenemy is cunning but why

Yɛnka mmɔ mu yi deɛ nea aba ne saa

As we won't unite that is how it will be

Nea ayɛ yi deɛ yɛretena ho bi daa

It's gotten bad but we continue to live with it

Fie na mebɛda ɛhe na ɛkye me

Home is where I sleep. Where is this that is keeping me?

Ɛhe na mekɔɔeɛ a efie reyɛ afe me yi

Where have I gone that my home is starting to miss me?

Tuntum sɛ yoo na m’ani agyina fie Nana

Black fits us. I'm fixated on my home Nana

Mo ma yɛn ani nka ha na yɛntie kasa

Let's appreciate our home and listen

Ɛnyɛ yɛ pɛ

It is not our will

Ɛnyɛ me pɛ ne sɛ w'anbɔ me me ne wo anyɛ pɛ

It’s not my will that You didn't create me to be identical to you

Wabɔ me da mu baako pɛ ɛno na ɛma me yɛ fɛ

You made me unique, and that is what makes me beautiful

Wate me ato akyire sɛ ɛyɛ me na menhwɛ fie

You have picked me to stay behind to take care of home

Sɛ ɛyɛ me na menhwɛ sɛ n’asɛm a woaka ato hɔ no bɛyɛ pɛyɛ

That I am the one to ensure your spoken word will come into being

Wahyɛ me sunsum mu kena

You have strengthened my spirit

Wotu me mprɛnnsa a mɛfifi mprɛnnsa

If they uproot me thrice I will germinate thrice

Nea ɛbɛsi biara no bɛkɔ na asan abɛto me

Whatever happens will go around and return to me

Bɛkɔ na asan abɛdan me ne bɔhyɛ asase ɛne ha

Will go and come back to belong to me. His promised land is here

Hwɛ hwɛ agya no ankasa nim nea ɛyɛ ma ne mma

Look. Look. The father Himself knows what is good for His children

Nim nea ɛyɛ ma ne mma

Knows what is good for His children

Nim nea ɛyɛ ma ne mma

Knows what is good for His children

Wasoma n’akoa sɛ ɔnbɛka asɛm no ɔnbɛkyɛ asɛm no

He has sent his servant to come preach His word, to come share His word

Nti yɛnya aso ntie ɔsomafoɔ no So let us give a listening ear to His messenger

Mahuri afiri nkoa-hyɛn no mu na maka Abibiman so

I have jumped off the slave ships to stay on African land

Mebɛdua nnua ayɛ afuo aheman mu wɔ asase yi so

I will plant trees and create farms: paradise on earth

Na mafrɛ obiara abusuafoɔ sewaa nna kumaa wɔfaase

And I will call everyone: family, aunties, mothers, in-laws, nephews and nieces

Mommra yɛnto nsa yɛnnidi yɛndɔ yɛn ho ɛ

Come and let's eat together and love one another

Na mawo mma ato apete mato wɔn Abibi din

I will fill the earth with children and give them African names

Maafia Kaakyire Tawiah momma yɛnkɔdi akwaama ɛ

Maafia, Kaakyire, Tawiah let's go on a vacation

Yɛnkɔ babiara yɛfiri yɛnkɔ hwɛ yɛn Nana kurom’

Let's go back to where we are from. Let's go see our grannie's hometown

Na yɛnkɔ mesrem asase so

And let's go to the land of Egypt

Na yɛnkaekae yɛn ho yɛn ahoɔden

And let's remind ourselves of our strength

Nea obiara ayi afiri mu nea obiara atwa agya yɛnfa

We should take the remains of what they took out and what they destroyed

Na yɛn kyerɛkyerɛ nea wiase abɛsua

And let's teach the things the world has learned from us

Nneɛma ɛkɔɔso nyinaa ɛyɛ me ara me fie na efiri

Everything going on in the world started from my own home

Ɛnyɛ me pɛ ne sɛ w'anbɔ me me ne wo anyɛ pɛ

It’s not my will that You didn't create me to be identical to you

Wabɔ me da mu baako pɛ ɛno na ɛma me yɛ fɛ

You made me unique, and that is what makes me beautiful

Wate me ato akyire sɛ ɛyɛ me na menhwɛ fie

You have picked me to stay behind to take care of home

Sɛ ɛyɛ me na menhwɛ sɛ n’asɛm a woaka ato hɔ no bɛyɛ pɛyɛ

That I am the one to ensure your spoken word will come into being

Wahyɛ me sunsum mu kena

You have strengthened my spirit

Wotu me mprɛnnsa a mɛfifi mprɛnnsa

If they uproot me thrice I will germinate thrice

Nea ɛbɛsi biara no bɛkɔ na asan abɛto me

Whatever happens will go around and return to me

Bɛkɔ na asan abɛdan me ne bɔhyɛ asase ɛne ha

Will go and come back to belong to me. His promised land is here

Ɛnti me maka fie

So I'm staying at home

Menpere nkɔ aburokyire sɛ mekɔ akɔyɛ yie

I won't rush abroad in search of riches

Efie na ɛyɛ dɛ

Home is where it's sweet

Hwɛ me fie fɛfɛ ewia bɔ a bɛhwɛ

Look how beautiful my home is. You should come see it when the sun shines

Yɛn yi mmerewa mfiri fie

We won't send the old out of our homes

Mmofra wɔ asomdwe. Polisi nto wɔn tuo

Children have peace. The police won't shoot at them.

M’ani kum a mekɔ m’abusua fie akɔda

When I'm sleepy I'll go to my family home to sleep

Efie na ɛyɛ dɛ. Dɛn biom na mepɛ

Home is where it's sweet. What else do I want?

Mebɔ me ho mmɔden na matɔ asase

I strive to buy land

Nana Nyame akyɛdeɛ sɛ wawo me ato ha sɛ me nkye m’abusua

It is God's gift that I was born here to establish my family

Nti me nkwa nna nyinaa m’ahoɔden nyinaa

So for all my days and with all my strength

Mede bɛyɛ adwuma ama Nyame ɛna

I will work for God and

Me ne me fie nyinaa yɛbɛkamfo ne din

Me and all my family will praise His name

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Through "Apɔnkye Is A Goat", Pure Akan shares a powerful narrative about strength and resilience in the face of life’s struggles. His lyrics, delivered in the rich and poetic Twi language, celebrate cultural pride and a deep connection to the roots of Africa, making this song a timeless anthem for both Ghanaians and global listeners.

Whether you're new to Pure Akan or a long-time fan, this song invites reflection on the values of hard work, perseverance, and the enduring beauty of one’s roots.