"LULLABY FOR THE HUNGRY"
Lullaby for the hungry
Sleep, You hungry people, sleep!
The gods of food watch over you.
Sleep, if you are not satiated
By wakefulness, then sleep shall fill you.
Sleep, with thoughts of smooth-as-butter-promises,
Mingled with words as sweet as honey.
Sleep, and enjoy the best of health.
What a fine thing is sleep for the wretched!
Sleep till the coming of morning
Then it will be time enough to rise
Sleep in the swamps
Surging with silty waters
Sleep to the tune of mosquitoes humming
As if it were the crooning of doves.
Sleep to the echo of long speechifyings
By great and eminent power politicians
Sleep, you hungry people sleep!
For sleep is one of the blessings of peace.
It is stupid for you to rise
Sowing discord where harmony reigns.
Sleep for the reform of corruption
Simply consists in your sleeping on.
Sleep, you hungry people, sleep!
Don`t cut off others` livelihood.
Sleep your skin cannot endure
The shower of sharp arrows when you wake.
Sleep, for the yards of jailhouses
Are all teeming with violent death,
And you are the more in need of rest
After the harshness of oppression.
Sleep and the leaders will find ease
From a sickness that has no cure
Sleep, You hungry people, sleep!
For sleep is more likely to protect your rights
And it is sleep that is most conducive
To stability and discipline
Sleep I send ymy greetings to you;
I send you peace, as you sleep on.
Sleep,You hungry people, sleep!
The gods of food watch over you
Sleep, You hungry people sleep
The gods of food watch over you.
MUHAMMAD MAHDI al- JAWAHIRI
The Great Iraqi award winning poet, MUHAMMAD MAHDI al- JAWAHIRI, was exiled and eventually died in the first half of the twentieth Century for his pro-democracy and pro-poor writings.
This is just to show how beautiful language really is: the sharp and onomatopoeic sound of the names of the people in the story about Puhus and his arrogant master; the eulogizing resonance of Dr. Mam Birams geniality; the indifference to the plight of the poor and hungry in Al- Jawahiri`s "Lullaby", all indicate how, in their brevity, these three literary pieces have described the various tendencies of human beings: some powerful and cruel, some rich and greedy, others poor and content, and yet others educated, erudite and humble; and so on...
Rene and Baba your lines are eruditely strong;may be they are didactic for despots, I hope so...As for me, if death is a choice, I want to die like Rene`s Dr. Mam Biram,rather than Baba`s Puhus and his arrogant Dr. Yahakat...
Alieu
________________________________
From: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Baba Galleh Jallow
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2005 3:24 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Puhus the Post-Modern Critic - A story
Thanks Rene. Dr. Mam Biram is indeed the type of citizen we need in our country and elsewhere. Not the Dr. Comganarrs and Puhus'. Thanks.
Baba
________________________________
From: [log in to unmask]
Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Puhus the Post-Modern Critic - A story
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 19:31:05 EDT
>Baba,
> This is a very good one. Very interesting story. Let me try and
>compliment it with a contrast.
>
>
> He is a very unassuming person; a very good communicator, eloquent
>and knowledgeable in his speech deliberations. He is the one person, who
>singurlarly, ignited the flames of civic passion and instilled a burning desire
>of patriotism to a younger generation, who voraciously satiated from the
>fountain of knowledge issuing from his mighty pen. He is the one who ripple the
>calm waters, and amid the storm sail gently to shore with his powerful
>insights; his clever polemics and his fervent critique of the decay and backwardness
>of the political dispensation of the day. He is Dr. Mam Biram; an astute,
>erudite, upright, selfless, dedicated and committed intellectual to the total
>overhaul of the abusive state machinery of governing. In its place, Dr. Biram
>wants to help build a vibrant democracy that is attuned to the needs and
>aspirations of the people. A democracy whose engine is lubricated with the voices
>of dissent; the freedom of expression to do and say that which is not
>injurious to the welfare and well being of others. Dr. Biram wants to help build a
>country that everyone would
>be proud to call home. A country where none should be a slave to another
>person and everyone should be a master of his or her own destiny.
>
> Why is it so difficult to build such a country? The answer to this
>question....
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Rene
>
>いいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいい
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