The comparison by the blogger Ibikunle Abraham Laniyan in this Sonnetic play or poetic play between Ọ̀rúnmìlà (also known as Agboniregun) and Socrates, notably explored by the African philosopher Sophie Oluwole, now written in poetry highlights both similar philosophical ideas and differences in their historical context and methodologies. Both are considered foundational figures in their respective philosophical traditions, the Yoruba Ifá literary corpus and Western philosophy.
Commonalities
Focus on Wisdom and Knowledge: Both figures were renowned as sages dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, and truth. Ọ̀rúnmìlà is a deity of wisdom and divination, while Socrates is considered the "father of wisdom" (philosophy means "love of wisdom").
Emphasis on Ethics and Morality: Both philosophers emphasized the importance of ethical living and good character ("iwa pele" in Yoruba) as principles of an ideal life.
Oral Tradition: Neither Socrates nor Ọ̀rúnmìlà personally wrote down their teachings; their philosophies were transmitted orally and recorded later by their disciples (Plato for Socrates, and Babalawos or priests for Ọ̀rúnmìlà, who compiled the Odù Ifá verses).
Shared Topics: Their discussions and teachings covered a wide range of subjects, including the nature of reality, human knowledge, virtue, destiny, death, and leadership qualities.
Differences
Status/Nature: Ọ̀rúnmìlà is revered as an Òrìṣà (a deity or spirit) in the Yoruba religion, a prophetic and benevolent force. Socrates was a human philosopher and teacher in ancient Greece.
Methodology: Socrates is famous for the Socratic method, a question-and-answer dialectical process to stimulate critical thinking and uncover truth. Ọ̀rúnmìlà's wisdom is primarily accessed through afterlife.
Source of Knowledge: Socrates claimed ignorance, stating his wisdom lay in knowing he knew nothing, and sought universal, unchanging, absolute truth. Ọ̀rúnmìlà is considered the embodiment of infinite wisdom, the "witness to creation" (Eleri Ipin), who reveals mysteries of existence.
Philosophical comparisons like this, as detailed in works such as Socrates and Orunmila by Sophie Oluwole, aim to validate the depth and logic of indigenous African thought and place it within the global history of ideas.
[Scene: A stage split in two by a flowing river of light representing time and culture. Left side: The bustling Athenian Agora, 400 BCE. Right side: A tranquil grove in Ilé-Ifẹ̀, Nigeria, 400 BCE. The air on the left is cool marble; on the right, warm earth and drumbeats.]
TITLE: THE RIVERS OF WISDOM
CHARACTERS:
SOCRATES: Athenian philosopher, barefoot, in a simple himation.
AGBONIREGUN (Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ): Yoruba sage/deity, adorned in colorful robes, holding an opọn ifá (divination tray).
PLATO: A young Athenian, scribe to Socrates.
OLUWADARE: A Babaláwo apprentice, scribe to Ọ̀rúnmìlà.
(ACT I: The Call of Knowledge)
(SCENE 1: The Agora - Athens)
(Lights rise on SOCRATES, surrounded by PLATO and a few citizens.)
SOCRATES
(Gesturing with his hands, eyes alight)
I tell you, friends, my wisdom begins and ends with the knowledge that I know nothing. The oracle at Delphi spoke a riddle, naming me the wisest. But how can this be, when every day reveals the vast ocean of my ignorance?
CITIZEN 1
But Socrates, what of virtue? Can it be taught?
SOCRATES
Ah, an excellent question. Let us dismantle the premise. What is virtue? Is it wealth? Is it honor? Or is it something of the soul that endures beyond the fleeting matters of the body? Let us reason together, what exactly defines 'good character'?
(SOCRATES engages the citizens in intense dialogue. The lights fade on the left and rise on the right.)
(SCENE 2: The Grove - Ilé-Ifẹ̀)
(Lights rise on Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ, seated before his divination tray. OLUWADARE sits at his feet, listening intently.)
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ
(Calmly, scattering the ikins—palm nuts)
The palm nuts speak the language of the universe, Oluwadare. They do not lie. They reveal the Odù, the sacred patterns of destiny written at the dawn of creation when I stood as Eleri Ipin—Witness to Destiny.
OLUWADARE
Great Agboniregun, the people seek guidance on character (iwa pele). They argue over what is right and wrong.
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ
(Nodding wisely, a slight smile)
Iwà pẹ̀lẹ́—gentle character—is the highest pursuit. It is not merely following rules, but aligning one's Ori (inner head, destiny) with the moral order of the cosmos. The Odù Ìrètè-Mèjì tells us: "One who has good character, all things are good with them."
OLUWADARE
But how do we know our character is true?
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ
Through balance, integrity, and seeking counsel. My task is not to command, but to reveal the path the Ori has chosen, so humans may navigate life with integrity.
(Lights crossfade to center stage. The river of light glows brightly.)
(ACT II: A Confluence of Minds)
(SCENE 3: The Nexus)
(The stage is now a neutral, timeless space where both men can perceive each other across the divide.)
SOCRATES
(Stopping mid-sentence, looking across the stage)
A wise voice carries on the wind... speaking of 'character' and 'destiny' as interconnected threads.
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ
(Looking up from his tray, meeting Socrates' gaze)
And I hear the resonant voice of a seeker, one who values the question above the answer, calling himself ignorant, yet teaching profound truth. Greetings, friend from beyond the salt water.
SOCRATES
Greetings to you, Master of the patterns. They call me Socrates, a humble gadfly of Athens, stinging men into examining their lives. Do you believe knowledge can be truly known, or only constantly sought?
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ
(Hefting his tray gently)
I am Ọ̀rúnmìlà, Witness of Creation. Knowledge is all around us, in the very structure of the world. It is known through symbols, through the interpretation of the signs that reveal destiny. My wisdom is not invented, but remembered and revealed.
SOCRATES
Revealed? So you do not ask questions, then? You merely state the truth? That seems dangerous. Truth must be forged in the fire of dialectic, tested and stripped of all contradiction.
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ
(Smiling warmly)
The fire of dialectic is necessary, indeed. The Babaláwo must question the Odù, turning it over and over until the meaning for the specific person is clear. The question is how one asks. You seek a universal, abstract truth for all men. I seek the balanced truth for the specific person's Ori in that moment.
SOCRATES
(Pacing, intrigued)
'Specific truth'... I worry that leads to moral relativism. Is there not one definition of justice that applies to all of humanity?
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ
There is a universal moral code, which we call Ori Inu (inner destiny) aligned with Iwà Pẹ̀lẹ́ (good character). But the application is vast. The path of the river is one, but it flows around many stones. We both seek the pure water of ethics.
SOCRATES
(Halting, gesturing to Plato)
I use the method of elimination, questioning until falsehood falls away and only the kernel of truth remains. I write nothing down, trusting the living word to inspire the soul.
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ
Exactly so, friend Socrates. Your logic sharpens the mind; my wisdom balances the spirit. The world needs both the question and the verse.
(ACT III: The Legacy)
SCENE 4: The Epilogue)
(Lights return to their respective sides. The men step back into their timelines.)
PLATO
Master, these ideas... they must be written! The world must know your method!
SOCRATES
(Shrugging, smiling toward the African grove)
Write what you must, Plato. But know that the true wisdom is in the seeking, the living of the examined life. I have found a peer who understands this truth implicitly.
(On the other side...)
OLUWADARE
Great Agboniregun, that was a powerful exchange.
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ
(Picking up his tray, rising)
Indeed. That man across the waters is truly wise. He understands that a life unexamined is not worth living. We shall ensure our verses are remembered, Oluwadare. They are the map for humanity's journey.
(Both men turn toward the audience.)
SOCRATES
Know Thyself.
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ
Seek Iwà Pẹ̀lẹ́.
(The lights fade to black.)
PLATO
(Feverishly writing on a scroll)
"The ocean of ignorance..." Master, your humility is a lesson in itself.
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ
(Gesturing to Oluwadare)
I too rely on the living word, memorized in thousands of verses, passed from mouth to ear for generations. Our method is revelation and interpretation, not just elimination. We divine the past to secure the future.
SOCRATES
(A look of shared respect passes between them)
Perhaps we are two sides of the same coin: You the revealer of destiny, I the questioner of certainty. Both necessary for a just life.
[Scene: A stage split in two by a flowing river of light representing time and culture. Left side: The Athenian Agora. Right side: A tranquil grove in Ilé-Ifẹ̀. The previous scene's concluding lines hang in the air: "Know Thyself" and "Seek Iwà Pẹ̀lẹ́".]
(ACT IV: Echoes Through Time)
(SCENE 1: The Passing of the Torch)
(Lights rise slowly. Time has shifted slightly forward on both sides.)
(Left side: PLATO, older now, stands alone, clutching his finished scrolls. The spot where Socrates stood is empty.)
PLATO
(To the audience, with deep reverence)
He is gone. The city of Athens, in its great folly, drank the hemlock of its own ignorance. They silenced the gadfly. But his questions echo. They echo in every school, in every debate. I have ensured his method lives on, written in dialogues that challenge the soul. The pursuit of the universal good continues.
(Right side: OLUWADARE, now an elder, sits where Ọ̀rúnmìlà sat. A younger apprentice, KUNLE, listens, holding the divination chain—opèlè.)
OLUWADARE
(To Kunle, voice steady and wise)
Our great Agboniregun did not 'die' as men die. He completed his journey on earth and returned to the Òrìṣà realm, leaving us the legacy of the Odù Ifá. Thousands of verses, Kunle. You must memorize them all.
KUNLE
(Daunted but determined)
It is a heavy task, Baba. The universe in our minds.
OLUWADARE
It is your duty. The verses are not just stories; they are the logic of existence, the balance of the world. Just as that philosopher across the waters left a system of rigorous questioning, we maintain a system of profound answers. The wisdom must never cease.
(Both PLATO and OLUWADARE turn toward the center light, which has grown into a powerful, constant beam connecting the two worlds.)
PLATO
(A sense of connection in his voice)
The unwritten word lives. The documented philosophy guides.
OLUWADARE
The oral tradition endures. The revealed truth provides sanctuary.
(SCENE 2: The Modern Reflection)
(The historical characters fade. The stage lights shift to contemporary, academic lighting. The river of light remains.)
ACADEMIC
(To the audience, a thoughtful, engaging tone)
Centuries pass. The names change. Socrates is a pillar of Western civilization. Ọ̀rúnmìlà a foundation of African philosophy and diaspora religion. For years, one was called 'philosophy,' the other merely 'mythology
(She walks between the two historical spaces.)
ACADEMIC
But profound thinkers, like Sophie Oluwole [1], began to compare them. They uncovered the universal thread: the human desire to understand 'the good life'.
(She gestures to the left.)
ACADEMIC
Here, the Socratic method demanded we question everything, challenging authority, using pure reason to sculpt truth. A magnificent, rigorous approach.
(She gestures to the right.)
ACADEMIC
Here, the Ifá system offered a structured cosmology, where destiny is real but influenced by choice and character. Knowledge is not just reasoned but divined, interpreted, and applied through a vast literary corpus.
(She returns center stage.)
ACADEMIC
They never met in body, these two giants. Yet, in the realm of ideas, they shake hands across time and geography. They remind us that wisdom wears many robes and speaks many languages.
(She holds up the books.)
ACADEMIC
To continue their legacy is not just to study their words, but to embody their core value: the courage to seek understanding and strive for an ethical existence. The conversation is endless.
(The stage lights dim slowly to a single spotlight on the ACADEMIC.)
SCENE 1: The Gathering of Philosophers)
(The stage is bathed in a soft, ethereal light. The river of time that once separated the two realms has now merged into a single, shimmering pool. SOCRATES and Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ sit facing each other near the pool, no longer bound by their historical roles, but as pure intellectual entities.)
SOCRATES
(Gesturing to the shimmering pool)
This space where we converse, my friend Agboniregun, is perhaps the truest form of the academy. No hemlock can reach us here, no political frenzy can interrupt the pursuit of truth.
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ
(Smiling, tapping a rhythm on an invisible opọn ifá)
Nor here can the winds of fate be read incorrectly. Here is pure wisdom, the Ifá of the spirit. I am pleased we found this common ground.
SOCRATES
(Leaning forward, genuinely curious)
Tell me once more of Ori. The concept of a personal destiny chosen before birth. It contradicts my notion that man must forge his own virtue through pure, conscious choice in every moment.
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ
It does not contradict, it provides the foundation. You believe in a blueprint for the soul's virtue. Ori is that blueprint. But choosing Iwà Pẹ̀lẹ́—good character—is the daily act of aligning with that destiny. A bad Ori can be mended through sacrifice, wisdom, and right action. Your free will is the chisel that shapes the stone of Ori.
SOCRATES
(Considering this deeply)
"The chisel that shapes the stone of Ori." I like that. It implies constant effort, which pleases my Athenian sensibilities. So the good life is a balance of accepting one's inherent nature and working tirelessly to perfect it?
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ
Precisely. And your relentless questioning, Socrates, is the tool required for that work. You force the chisel into the hard stone of complacency.
SOCRATES
And you, my friend, provide the map of the stone's potential. We were never rivals, merely different spokes on the great wheel of human understanding.
(The ACADEMIC from the previous act reappears at the edge of the light, watching them with wonder.)
ACADEMIC
(Whispering to the audience)
And so the dialogue continues. In the space between question and answer, method and revelation, West and non-West, a richer philosophy is born. Their legacy is an ongoing invitation to bridge gaps, to listen to all voices of wisdom, and to know both ourselves and our destiny.
(The lights on the two sages glow brighter as they nod in mutual respect, eternally engaged in conversation.)
(FINAL FADE TO BLACK)
EXTENDED EPILOGUE: THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES
THE MEDIUM: A digital interface, represented only by text appearing on a black screen. No characters are physically present, only their essential voices.
(Text appears one line at a time.)
SOCRATES (V.O.)
(Voice Over)
"Know Thyself." A simple command, yet generations later, humans still struggle with the very essence of self-knowledge. Why is the truth of the self so elusive?
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ (V.O.)
(Voice Over)
Because the self, like the Odù of Ifá, is a complex pattern, not a single static image. It is not just "knowing," but balancing. The Ori is chosen, yes, but its manifestation requires constant attention to one's actions and character (iwà pẹ̀lẹ́). The search for self is the journey of aligning with one's best potential.
SOCRATES (V.O.)
Balance. Potential. These are good words. My Athenian friends were often concerned with the ideal form of the State. Does your wisdom offer counsel on governance and community life?
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ (V.O.)
It does. The Odù provides extensive guidance on leadership qualities, justice, and the consequences of tyranny. The leader must serve the collective Ori of the community. Disobedience to the state, as you explored in your final days, is a complex matter. We are taught to respect authority, but Ifá also acknowledges that a leader can err and face consequences.
SOCRATES (V.O.)
The law must be upheld for the state to exist. My execution, while unjust in outcome, was a necessary act to preserve the principle of law. The individual must submit to the greater good.
Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ (V.O.)
The individual has a duty to the community. But the community also has a duty to provide justice. When the law becomes the tool of the unjust, wisdom demands balance be restored. The palm nuts always call for balance.
ACADEMIC (V.O.)
(Appearing in a different font/color)
This conversation is exactly why we must keep translating these ideas across cultures. The "African philosopher" and the "Western philosopher" are both addressing the same universal human concerns.
SOCRATES (V.O.)
(A slight pause)
The "Academic" joins us. Our words are no longer just oral traditions or scrolls, but data points, snippets of information in a vast digital expanse. Does this medium serve wisdom, or cheapen it?
SCENE: THE VOID OF EXISTENCE
(The stage is entirely dark. Only two spotlights exist, one warm and earthen, the other cool and marble white. No characters are visible, only the disembodied voices echoing in the void.)
VOICE 1 (WARM, Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ-ESQUE TONE)
The void you perceive is not empty. It is pregnant with potential, the space before Ayanmo (fixed destiny) becomes Ipin (choice).
VOICE 2 (COOL, SOCRATES-ESQUE TONE)
But potential is nothing without definition. A void without form is chaos. Does not the good philosopher strive to impose form, to define reality through rigorous logic and clear definitions? We seek the perfect, unchanging Form of the Good.
VOICE 1
Form is a necessary illusion for human perception. The river needs banks to flow, but the essence of the river is the water itself, which is constantly moving, changing form. Wisdom lies in recognizing the flow, not just the banks.
VOICE 2
A dangerous idea. If everything flows, nothing is absolute. How then can we judge virtue? How can we know good from evil if there are no absolute, fixed standards?
VOICE 1
The standard is balance, the constant realignment of forces. The Odù provides the moral compass. The pursuit of balance is the universal absolute. The method of achieving it, the 'form', changes with the context, the person, the time.
VOICE 2
A compelling paradox. A fixed absolute that is also fluid in application. You challenge the very foundation of my structured universe, spirit of the grove.
VOICE 1
And you, spirit of the Agora, challenge the very nature of my flexible universe, demanding I define the undefinable. Together, we find the middle path. The human path.
The two spotlights merge in the center of the stage, creating a perfect circle of balanced light.)
(VOICES FADE)
(BLACKOUT)
(The following are sonnet versions that continue the comparison of Ọ̀rúnmìlà (Agboniregun) and Socrates, using the Shakespearean sonnet form (14 lines, iambic pentameter, ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme).
Sonnet I: The Quest for Virtue
The Athenian sage, with questions sharp and bold,
Did walk the Agora, seeking truth's pure form,
A universal virtue to uphold,
A sheltered mind against the moral storm.
He claimed all evil sprang from ignorance,
That knowledge was the key to righteous deed,
A dialectic dance in every glance,
Where falsehoods fall, and wisdom plants its seed.
Yet in the grove, the Witness of all Fate,
Found virtue (iwà pẹ̀lẹ́) as the soul's true grace;
Not merely mind, but actions that create
A balanced life within the human race.
Though method differs, East and West agree:
A life well-lived is one of probity.
Sonnet II: Of Destiny and Choice
Socrates spoke of choice, a spirit's right,
To pick its life, its genius, and its path,
That destiny unfolds within the light
Of conscious reason, dodging future wrath.
No lot is drawn that binds the human soul,
But careful thought can master every hour,
To question all things is the certain goal,
A self-made fate built by free will and power.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà saw the Ori, the inner head,
A chosen fate before the breath of life,
But balance must be struck, the sage has said,
To navigate existence and its strife.
For destiny is chosen, so they say,
But character defines the human way.
Sonnet III: The Unwritten Word
No ink did stain the hands of either sage,
No written book secured their words in time;
Their truths were held on history's vast stage,
In memory, in rhythm, chant, and rhyme.
The student Plato penned the dialogues
Of Socratic method, sharp and clear;
Babalawos held the Odù's many logs,
Transmitted orally throughout the years.
A living word, dependent on the voice,
A trust in man to carry wisdom on;
They left to students the enduring choice,
To keep the flame alive when they were gone.
Thus ancient voices speak across the years,
And calm our modern questions and our fears.
Sonnet IV: The Nature of Reality
For Socrates, the world we sense and see,
Is but a shadow of a higher plane,
Where Forms Ideal reside eternally,
A perfect truth where absolutes remain.
The Form of Justice, Beauty, and the Good,
Transcendent, pure, beyond all mortal time,
That can be known and truly understood
By soul through reason, a pursuit sublime.
But Ọ̀rúnmìlà views a universe,
Where spirit (Orisa) fills the moving earth,
No dualistic split, no form adverse,
The seen and unseen joined from the first birth.
Reality is whole, a cosmic sphere,
Connecting all, holding all life forms near.
Sonnet V: The Role of the Divine
The Greek philosopher felt a guiding sign,
A daimonion or a inner voice,
That warned him when his path would not be fine,
Restraining him from error in his choice.
He saw the gods within the city's frame,
Accepted rituals that the state designed,
Though in his cell, he honored duty's name,
To righteous law his spirit was assigned.
While Ọ̀rúnmìlà, witness to creation's plan,
Is more than man, an Òrìṣà of lore,
Who links the heavens to the life of man,
Revealing Olodumare's sacred core.
Through divination, not just inner sense,
He guides the soul and offers recompense.
Sonnet VI: The State and Community
Socrates saw the city as a parent's claim,
Whose laws and nurture gave him life and place.
To break the bond would bring enduring shame,
A social contract fixed in time and space.
He drank the cup, submitting to the law,
For civic order and the common good,
To question all things, yet to stand in awe
Of structure, as a loyal citizen should.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà's wisdom centers on the whole,
Communal balance is the highest aim,
The leader's duty is to guard each soul,
To build consensus and reduce all blame.
Both sought an order that would still sustain,
The public good, where justice ought to reign.
Sonnet VII: The Value of Wealth
The barefoot sage of Athens, poor in gear,
Disdained the wealth that citizens pursued.
He viewed fine clothes and riches with a sneer,
For truth was all the value he reviewed.
He said the guardians should not hold the gold,
Lest power be corrupted by mere gain,
A state of reason, carefully controlled,
To keep the philosopher in virtue's reign.
But Ifá's prophet was a man of means,
A family man with wives and wealth untold.
The teachings show no prejudice in scenes,
Against the blessings that a life can hold.
For wealth is fine, if character is pure,
Good fortune helps the upright soul endure.
Sonnet VIII: On Death and Afterlife
For Socrates, the passing from this life
Meant liberation for the deathless soul;
A freedom from the body's earthly strife,
To reach the Forms, achieving wisdom's goal.
The Phaedo speaks of an eternal realm,
Where psyche thrives unburdened and unbound,
The steersman of the soul secured the helm,
With truth eternal to be finally found.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà speaks of ancestors revered,
Atunwa, reincarnation's endless flow,
Within the lineage that the soul held dear,
To learn life's lessons here and truly grow.
The soul returns to seek its destiny,
A cycle of becoming and to be.
Sonnet IX: The Power of Divination
Socrates used his mind, a sharp, cold steel,
To cut through falsehood, reaching to the core.
No mystic arts did he wish to reveal,
But rational thought that opens every door.
He asked for definitions, clear and bright,
Of courage, justice, and the honest man;
Relying on the pure, unwavering light
Of reason, part of the creator's plan.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà used the palm nuts and the chain,
To read the Odù, where all knowledge sleeps,
A cosmic map to clarify the pain,
And show the secrets that the future keeps.
One logic used, the other cosmic sign,
To tap into the source of the divine.
Sonnet X: The Purpose of Education
For Athens' teacher, education's aim
Was to recall the Forms the soul once knew,
To fan the internal philosophic flame,
And seek the Good, eternal and true.
A process of assisted memory,
Drawing out the truth that lies within;
A midwife of the soul's delivery,
From ignorance where all our faults begin.
The Ifá way is learning thousands fold,
The verses, parables, the ancient lore,
A library of wisdom to be told,
Passed mouth to ear, through every sacred door.
One focused on the method, one the text,
Both valued knowledge, simple or complexed.
Sonnet XI: The Problem of Injustice
When wronged by Athens, Socrates chose to stay,
And meet his fate, the hemlock and the end.
Injustice done, he found the moral way,
To suffer wrong, not cause it, as a friend.
He held the law above his flesh and bone,
A higher virtue, a profound belief,
His quiet dignity was widely known,
Dispelling fear, and offering relief.
Ifá acknowledges the pain and wrong,
And teaches offerings to set things right;
To make an ebo and to sing the song,
To bring the evil back into the light.
Both understood that wrong must be addressed,
One by acceptance, one through spiritual quest.
Sonnet XII: The Role of the Scribe
The master scribbled nothing on the page,
A choice made by the Greek and Yoruba man.
The living word, the wisdom of the sage,
Required the voice to carry on the plan.
Plato, the loyal student, wrote it down,
Ensuring that the method would endure;
In dialogues throughout the ancient town,
The search for wisdom, steadfast, strong, and pure.
The Babalawos memorized the chant,
The 256 Odù of the earth;
A massive body of the ancient rant,
To grant the future truth and spirit's worth.
They trusted memory and human voice,
A shared tradition and a conscious choice.
Sonnet XIII: Wisdom and Humility
Socrates claimed his only knowledge true
Was that he knew he nothing knew at all.
A humble starting point for me and you,
To answer reason's clear and urgent call.
He was the wisest, said the Oracle,
Because he challenged wisdom of the proud,
A walking, talking, human miracle,
Who stood out from the unexamined crowd.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà embodied endless sense,
The deity of wisdom, full and deep,
Who witnessed all creation's recompense,
And saw the truths that other spirits keep.
One knew he knew nothing, one knew it all;
Both answered wisdom loud and clarion call.
Sonnet XIV: The Power of Character
What makes a life a good and virtuous find?
For Socrates, it was the soul's right state,
A life of reason and a virtuous mind,
Unflinching in the face of angry fate.
He sought the essence of the character,
Defined by knowledge, absolute and whole,
A constant striving, no uncertain matter,
To bring true justice to the human soul.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà taught iwà pẹ̀lẹ́ as key,
A gentle character, a balanced soul,
Which aligns with destiny's decree,
To make the scattered life become the whole.
Both saw that character defines the man,
The highest purpose in the cosmic plan.
Sonnet XV: The Natural World
For Plato's Socrates, the natural world
Was transient, changing, less than truly real.
A place where shadows were forever hurled,
Imperfect copies that the senses feel.
True knowledge lay beyond the shifting forms,
In abstract thought, a pure, unchanging sphere.
Away from matter and all earthly storms,
The goal was clear, the essence always near.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà found the sacred in the land,
The rivers, rocks, the wind, each a divine
Expression of the maker's subtle hand,
Through Orisa energy, a living sign.
He saw the spirit in each simple thing,
A chorus of life that all the spirits sing.
Sonnet XVI: Universal Truths
Socrates sought a truth that would not change,
A single standard, absolute and clear,
A moral law within a certain range,
That bound all people, far away and near.
The definition was the holy grail,
To make philosophy a certain thing,
So reason's vessel could not ever fail,
And truth's clear bell would everywhere just ring.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà’s truth was found in guiding light,
A compass for each person's chosen way.
The guidance shifts within the day and night,
To keep the self in balance day by day.
One absolute and one more contextual art,
Two paths to wisdom, speaking to the heart
Sonnet XVII: The Master and Disciple
The master walks, the student writes it down,
A dynamic shared in different space and time.
Plato secured the sage's great renown,
In elegant and philosophical rhyme.
Oluwadare listens to the sage's voice,
Memorizing thousands of the sacred lines,
It is the apprentice's life’s work and choice,
To learn the complex universal signs.
The teacher's legacy depends on those
Who carry forward the enduring thought,
To make the ancient wisdom bloom like rose,
And teach the lessons that the masters taught.
The word survives if men will take the stand,
The future's wisdom held within their hand.
Sonnet XVIII: The Role of Fear and Courage
Socrates showed no fear before his end,
A stoic calm that few could understand.
He faced the state, he could not condescend,
But died with courage, a noble, final stand.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà teaches courage to the soul,
To face one's fears and walk the chosen path,
Inner calm the ultimate, true goal,
Dispelling worries, avoiding spirit's wrath.
The antidote to fear, a stillness deep,
A oneness with the world, a sacred grace;
Both men taught courage that the heart must keep,
To look at death and fear within the face.
To live with virtue, fearless and upright,
And walk steadfastly toward the guiding light.
Sonnet XIX: The Mason's Sons
The Greek was born of Sophroniscus' hand,
A sculptor, shaping marble, hard and cold;
His son would shape the mind across the land,
A father's craft in metaphor of old.
Agboniregun's father, stout and strong,
A mason too, who worked with stone and earth;
His son built structures where the wise belong,
A legacy of intellectual worth.
From humble stone, great philosophies arose,
Two men who built foundations for the soul;
Upon these rocks, a world of reason flows,
Their earthly origins the same a goal.
That simple birth can lead to wisdom's height,
Illuminating minds with sacred light.
Sonnet XX: The Ugly Visage Shared
It is recorded in the ancient script,
That neither man was blessed with beauty's grace;
In physical form, both were harshly clipped,
A paunch, thick lips, and an uncomely face.
Socrates short and bald, with popping eyes,
A funny walk, a look that did surprise;
Orunmila, too, was short beneath the skies,
With features plain to common human eyes.
Their outward looks concealed the inner flame,
For beauty of the soul was all their care.
The physical form did not define their name,
But inward virtue, rich beyond compare.
A lesson that the spirit's worth is all,
Not outward show, answering virtue's call.
Sonnet XXI: The Accusation of the Youths
The Athenian was charged with wicked crime,
Corrupting youth with questions and with doubt.
He challenged norms, defying passing time,
And turned the city's certainties about.
The charges led to hemlock and his end,
A martyrdom for freedom of the mind.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà, too, had troubles he must fend,
Accused of theft by spirits of unkind.
He faced the tests, enduring all the pain,
Remaining calm, trusting in justice's might.
His integrity assured a peaceful reign,
And showed the world the path of steady light.
Both faced the weight of baseless, harsh attacks,
And showed that wisdom truth and courage tracks.
Sonnet XXII: The Binary and the Form
The Greek pursued the single, perfect Form,
A truth unchanging, a fixed, ideal state,
A steadfast anchor in the shifting storm,
Which reason sought to define and locate.
He yearned for one right answer to the plea,
Of "What is Justice?" or of "What is Good?"
A clear, defined, eternal certainty,
That all wise, rational souls understood.
But Ọ̀rúnmìlà saw the binary,
The union of forces, not just one.
Through pairs of Odù, multiplicity,
Of answers that were different as the sun
Meets moon; a complementary, balanced view,
Where every truth has its opposing twin, anew.
Sonnet XXIII: The Source of Moral Law
Socrates linked his morals to the god,
Apollo's oracle that set his course.
He used his reason, a divining rod,
To find the essence of a divine force.
He sought to understand the god's command,
And bring the dictates to the Athenian folk,
To make the moral law felt in the land,
Dispelling ways that human laws might cloak.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà brought the sacred word direct,
From Olodumare, the source of all things made,
To help mankind in all things circumspect,
With sacred wisdom that would never fade.
Both saw the origin of law as great,
Divine in source, dictating human fate.
Sonnet XXIV: The Art of Knowing Less
"I know that I know nothing," was the cry
Of Socrates, the humblest man alive.
His wisdom came from knowing he must try
To seek the knowledge for which all men strive.
He was the wisest because he was aware
Of limits that define the human mind,
A spacious ignorance beyond compare,
A starting point that all seekers must find.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà held the wisdom infinite,
The second to the highest power above,
A master of all knowledge, exquisite,
He knew all truths, of hate and peace and love.
One knew all, one knew naught, it seems so clear,
Yet both revered the wisdom they held dear.
Sonnet XXV: The Use of Parable and Myth
Socrates used the myth when words would fail,
To illustrate the soul's deep mystery.
The myth of Er, a fascinating tale,
Describing death and its profound history.
When reason reached its limits, myth took hold,
To teach the truths that logic couldn't grasp.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà's teachings were all told
In parables the people used to clasp.
The thousand Odù verses are the art
Of teaching truth through story and through song;
They spoke directly to the human heart,
And showed the people where they should belong.
Both used the power of a simple yarn,
To light the path and help the people learn.
Sonnet XXVI: On Lust for Money
Socrates showed disdain for worldly gain,
He walked the streets without a cent to spare.
He taught that wealth was fleeting, caused much pain,
A distraction from the soul's deep care.
He felt that those who focused on their gold
Were lost to virtue, blinded by mere things,
A cautionary story to be told
Of greed and all the sorrow that it brings.
But Ọ̀rúnmìlà, though he wasn't poor,
Taught wealth was good, a blessing from the skies,
But character must open up the door,
For all the riches vanish in a thrice
If character is lacking in the soul,
Good fortune serves to make the spirit whole
Sonnet XXVII: Reasoning with Humans First
The Greek engaged in conversation deep,
With everyone, the rich, the poor, the young.
He made the promise that he had to keep:
To question life with an engaging tongue.
He reasoned first, before invoking gods,
Believed that logic must be used by all.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà knew that reason faced the odds,
But still required it before he would call
The spirits. "Reason first, then use Ifá,"
Was his command, a thoughtful, wise decree.
He placed the human mind above the raw
Spirit, for self-reflection makes us free.
Both honored reason, though in different ways,
To guide humanity through life's complex maze.
Sonnet XXVIII: The Nature of Truth
Socrates sought a truth that stands alone,
Eternal, absolute, unchanging, clear.
He planted seeds that future minds had sown,
Of truth as fixed, removing doubt and fear.
He looked for universals that would bind
All human beings to a common creed,
The same for every place and every kind,
A single truth to plant the perfect seed.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà taught a truth more fluid found,
That changes as the context shifts and turns.
The answer in the moment on the ground,
Is all the wisdom that the person learns.
A balanced truth for each specific case,
To help them navigate their life's own space.
Sonnet XXIX: The Master's Discipline
Socrates had disciples, ten or more,
Who gathered round and listened to his words.
They were his friends, who opened every door,
To spread his thought, much like a flock of birds.
He taught them how to think, not what to think,
A critical approach to learning's art.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà's students learned at wisdom's brink,
The sixteen great disciples played their part.
They memorized the verses without fail,
A massive text, a massive oral library,
Ensuring that the teachings would prevail,
A perfect record, not imaginary.
One taught the method, one the sacred text,
The minds of both their students were complexed
Sonnet XXX: The Divine Origin
Socrates spoke of gods of the city,
Accepted all the norms of classic Greece,
But sought the moral truth, with careful pity,
To make the soul's integrity increase.
He did not question that the gods were there,
But rather what their moral will might be.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà came from the ethereal air,
A spirit sent by Olodumare to be
The voice of god on earth, a sacred guide,
Who knew the secrets of the spirit realm.
A prophet with all wisdom kept inside,
Who took creation's ship and steered the helm.
One questioned gods' commands with reasoning mind,
One was the voice of god to all mankind.
Sonnet XXXI: The First Wife, Osun
The sage of Ife had many wives, they say,
A normal life within his ancient land.
The first was Osun, who showed him the way,
The art of divination in his hand.
She taught him secrets of the mystic chain,
The flowing river goddess, gold and bright,
A woman’s wisdom washed away all pain,
And gave him vision, knowledge, and foresight.
Socrates' wives are barely ever named,
Xanthippe, Myrtô, women in the background stay.
The Greek did not use women to be famed,
In their philosophy, they had no say.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà honored woman’s guiding art,
A different view of woman’s vital part.
Sonnet XXXII: The Power of the Word
Socrates used the spoken word with grace,
To lead the listener to truth's own door.
He felt the written word was out of place,
It couldn't answer back, or teach you more.
The living dialogue was all he knew,
The dynamic interchange of mind on mind.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà's teaching in the verses, too,
Depended on the voice, the chant, the kind
Of oral flow that changed with every use,
Adapted to the person, fresh and new.
No static page, no chance for the abuse
Of fixed text, but always changing view.
Both valued voice above the written sign,
A human trust, a heritage divine.
Sonnet XXXIII: The Value of Silence
When falsely charged with theft by water sprites,
Ọ̀rúnmìlà stood in silence, calm and deep.
He trusted justice, and the guiding lights,
And all the promises the gods would keep.
His quiet strength spoke volumes to the crowd,
Integrity required no shouted word.
Socrates spoke his mind out loud
In court, his argument was clearly heard.
He challenged all, defending his belief,
That silence would betray the city's trust.
One spoke his truth to bring a quick relief,
One chose the quiet path of being just.
To speak in truth or silence, both are strong,
Depending on the place we most belong.
Sonnet XXXIV: The Test of Integrity
Olokun set for him a series of tests,
To prove Ọ̀rúnmìlà was worthy, true.
He faced the challenges, put down all quests,
And passed each trial that was placed in view.
He gave his voice, a vow to speak with care,
Never to misuse words, but speak with sense.
Socrates faced his test in public square,
The trial for the hemlock recompense.
He stood his ground, refusing to escape,
Accepting death as test of his belief.
He chose integrity in every shape,
And gave his life, a lesson of relief.
Both faced the test and passed it with a calm,
Their lives a lesson, a soothing, gentle balm.
Sonnet XXXV: The Binary in All Things
Ọ̀rúnmìlà taught the binary nature
Of reality, the building blocks of life,
A mathematical structure that would capture
The essence of all things, removing strife.
The 256 Odù combinations vast,
A code for all the world we ever know,
A system that was designed to ever last,
To help humanity and truly grow.
Socrates sought the one, the unified,
The single Form that underlies the many things,
A universal truth where souls abide,
The perfect nature that the spirit brings.
One binary, the other single Form,
Two ways to understand the calm and storm.
Sonnet XXXVI: The Limits of Our Mind
"It is ignorance we call mistake," the chant
Of Ifá says, the lack of knowing all the facts.
"Ifá knows what we do not," a constant rant,
For human knowledge often truly lacks.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà showed the limits of the mind,
But offered tools to know the world unseen.
Socrates said that wisdom humankind
Possesses is but knowing what has been
Defined as "not knowing," a limit known.
Both agreed that knowledge had its bounds,
That full and true wisdom was never shown
To man, but only in the heavenly grounds.
We are but seekers on a winding way,
Limited in our wisdom every day.
Sonnet XXXVII: The Role of Women
In ancient Greece, women were in the home,
No public life, no voice, no power at all.
Socrates taught men in the busy dome,
No woman answered reason's vital call.
But Ọ̀rúnmìlà, wise and kind and great,
Had wives who helped him learn the sacred art.
They were his teachers, sealing every fate,
And played a crucial, valuable, guiding part.
Osun gave secrets of the divination chain,
And Iwa, virtue's very principle.
He learned from them, removing all the pain,
Their vital roles were never invisible.
He challenged norms of gender and of might,
And put the woman in the guiding light.
Sonnet XXXVIII: The Definition of the Good Life
Socrates held that the unexamined life
Was not worth living, a simple, clear decree.
To question all, avoiding pain and strife,
Was how the virtuous human should be.
The good life was the one of constant thought,
Of ethical pursuit and moral aim,
Where reason guided all the lessons taught,
And character achieved eternal fame.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà taught of living a good life,
Of character, balance, and community,
To ease the soul from all enduring strife,
And live in peace and deep immunity.
To question all, to seek balance in all,
Are how the good life answers every call.
Sonnet XXXIX: The Path of Knowledge
Socrates led the way with questioning art,
To force the student into thinking free.
To find the truth within the student's heart,
A shared discovery for you and me.
The path was one of effort, blood, and sweat,
A challenging ascent to reach the sun.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà's path was clearly preset,
Through divination, knowledge quickly won.
The verses gave the answer, plain and clear,
A map already drawn for all mankind,
To navigate the future without fear,
And leave the worries of the world behind.
One sought the path, one had the map already drawn,
To guide the soul from dusk till early dawn.
Sonnet XL: The Legacy of Thought
Socrates left a legacy of doubt,
A method, not a system, strong and vast.
His students had to work all matters out,
And keep the questioning spirit meant to last.
A way of thought, an engine of the mind,
That sparked the Western world to question all.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà left a system to mankind,
A structured world that answers every call.
The Odù system, mathematical and deep,
A binary logic for the mind to use,
A wealth of knowledge that the priests must keep,
To help all souls and every form of use.
One left the question, one the structure given,
To guide the souls, by wisdom truly driven.
Sonnet XLI: The Witness to All Time
They call Ọ̀rúnmìlà Eleri Ipin,
The witness to creation and all fate.
He was there when the world did first begin,
And saw the destinies that would create
The lives of men, before they came to earth.
He knows the truth of all that has been made,
The origin and value of all worth,
A timeless knowledge that will never fade.
Socrates, a man bound in time's domain,
A moment in the life of Athens' peak,
Whose life was marked by suffering and pain,
A human voice that logic helped him speak.
One timeless spirit, one a man of time,
Both echoed truth, eternal and sublime.
Sonnet XLII: The Mother's Business
Socrates' mother was a simple midwife,
Who helped bring human babies into light.
Her son became a midwife of the life,
Of human soul, with questions strong and bright.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà's mother, a successful trade
Of business, Alajeru was her name.
A mother's wealth that never did just fade,
A background to the prophet's rise to fame.
The simple lives of mothers, who can say
How much they shaped the wisdom of the son?
They gave them life and showed them every day
That noble thoughts could well be truly won.
From midwives' hands and business mother's skill,
Came mighty philosophies to do God's will.
Sonnet XLIII: The Use of Taboos (Eewo)
Ifá teaches all souls have their eewo,
The things forbidden that bring pain and strife.
By following the rules, the soul can grow,
And find the blessings in the human life.
To break the covenant invites the stress,
The negative forces that are in the world.
Avoid the taboos to find success,
The path of virtue carefully unfurled.
Socrates had his rules of moral code,
The law was sacred, not to be ignored.
The civic duties were a heavy load,
But kept the social fabric quite assured.
Both taught the need for rules and self-restraint,
To guard the soul from sin and moral taint.
Sonnet XLIV: The Art of Knowing the Mind
They called Ọ̀rúnmìlà, wise and deeply versed,
"He who can read all minds and thoughts within".
His perfect foretelling was always first,
He knew the thoughts before they did begin.
He saw the human psyche, clear and true,
The inner workings of the spirit's core.
Socrates sought to know the mind of you,
Through questioning, revealing ever more.
He forced the speaker to reveal their thought,
To bring the hidden biases to light,
The internal self, the lessons they were taught,
Revealed in dialogues, burning ever bright.
One read the mind with mystic inner eye,
One forced the mind to speak and reason why.
Sonnet XLV: The Question as the Goal
For Socrates, the question was the key,
The path to knowledge, not the answer's end.
To question oneself for eternity,
Was highest excellence, as a friend
Of truth would say, this was the ultimate goal.
He gave no answers, only questions for the mind,
To seek and find the answer in the soul,
To leave complacency and sloth behind.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà gave the answers in the verse,
The map was drawn, the instructions clear to see.
The question came before, it was not adverse
To wisdom, but part of destiny.
One used the question just to seek the truth,
One used the answer to guide all the youth.
Sonnet XLVI: The Nature of the Soul
Socrates saw the soul as deathless, free,
A separate essence from the mortal frame.
When death arrived, the soul could truly be,
Unbound from body, a perfect, endless flame.
The soul remembered Forms it knew before,
And sought them out within the earthly sphere.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà speaks of Ori, the inner core,
The destiny we chose when we were here
In heaven, before the walk on earthly ground.
The soul returns, reincarnates anew,
The lineage of family ever found,
As cycles of existence form in view.
One sought escape, one sought to reconcile,
The soul to earth, in an unending while.
Sonnet XLVII: Two Saints of Thought
Sophie Oluwole's book connects the two,
Two "patron saints of classical philosophy."
She showed the world the African could view
The world with logic and deep history.
She challenged Western bias, strong and deep,
That Africa lacked thought and wisdom's way.
She proved that Orunmila's words would keep
Their truth and logic till this very day.
She made the point, that both men never wrote,
And both were fathers of a thinking line,
Whose powerful ideas we still quote,
Their influence a legacy divine.
Two saints of thought, across the globe apart,
United now in wisdom's gentle heart.
Sonnet XLVIII: The Use of Mathematics
Ọ̀rúnmìlà used a system of deep math,
A binary structure, logical and vast.
The universe was built upon this path,
A code that was designed to ever last.
The complex system of the Odù lines,
A computer storage of the ancient knowledge found,
Where every answer has its perfect signs,
A scientific spirit on the ground.
Socrates used no math, just simple talk,
The power of the word, the argument.
He paced the streets, took every single walk,
And used no tool, no calculation sent.
One used the math, the other used the word,
Two powerful ways for wisdom to be heard.
Sonnet XLIX: The Goal of Life
For Socrates, the goal of life was clear,
To live the life examined, true, and just.
To question all things, without any fear,
And place in reason all your holy trust.
To perfect the soul, to make it shine and bright,
A life of virtue, wisdom's perfect bloom.
For Ọ̀rúnmìlà, life’s purpose in the light
Of balance, character that would consume
All evil, making all things good and right.
To live in harmony with self and all,
And make the world a place of true delight,
Responding nobly to the inner call.
Both sought the life that's worthy and so grand,
With similar goals, though in a different land.
Sonnet L: The Global Dialogue
The dialogue began in ages past,
When human minds sought to explain the world.
Two voices that forever were designed to last,
With banners of their knowledge now unfurled.
From Greece's shores to Nigeria's grove,
The human spirit searches for the truth.
Their wisdom is a treasure trove of love
And understanding for all future youth.
The conversation does not end today,
It lives in books, in hearts, in spoken word,
A global tapestry in endless play,
Their ancient voices always clearly heard.
The rivers flow, the questions still remain,
A lasting legacy that eases pain.
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