Emperor Menelik II — King of Sheba

Emperor Menelik II —

King of Sheba Menelik,

the King of Kings Of Ethiopia,

then Abyssinia From the blood of Solomon

And the Queen of Sheba

Foreigners came one day from far

Let’s be friends, they said to Menelik

I am for progress, said Menelik

And glad to sign for peace

Foreigners then smiled and said

Abyssinia is now our land

As written on this scroll

It’s called the treaty of Wuchale

No, not, said Menelik

My language says ’tis not

If your language says ’tis so

Not mine, called Amharic

Menelik then called his Kingdom

Which yelled “This shall not be”

He stood with his Empress Taitu

And made a proclamation

Foreigners have come to dig

Like moles they want to take

They want to change our religion

But this shall never be.

We’ll fight them on our land

And fight them on our seas

We’ll fight them in our sleep

And fight them all year long

Those of you who are strong

Please give me your strength

And those of you who are weak

Please help me by your prayers

Menelik then called the Rases

Ras Sibhat, Mikael, Gebeyehu

They put aside their differences

And marched in step to Adwa

Menelik then marched to war

With a hundred thousand men

He crushed the scheming foreigners

Who paid dear for their deeds

Menelik, oh Menelik

Nagusa Nagast of Sheba*

*Nagusa Nagast:

King of Kings.