By
Friends, have you ever played
With the head of the coin in your palm
Either you lose or you get away with it
Lo, I did play one today
Two things, just two only
Saw him blindfold me
After knocking me down,
I was overjoyed, thanks to PRA
Behold to the saga
I saw people that exuded humanity
Who bear compassion, empathy filled to the brim
The threshold lush with the ornate
Of the down-and-out
I trekked many lands, my feet migrated
Met tillers, panhandlers at first sight
I scrapped from the crust of bread
I flourished in their poor holdings
Fed me from their bare minimum
Full of candour, no pretensions
Compassionate, and contagious courage
What’s more I saw their clairvoyance
Like a prophet receiving a vision
Standing on today, live on tomorrow
Sitting on craggy rocks, polish a smooth stool
Peasants of the motherland!
I saw them tilling the unyielding land
Dragging the recreant plough-shaft
With unfailing hope
I took their wisdom for folly
Their enlightenment for uncouthness
I was the one who was It was me, who was the blind
Though I am enlightened, while I was not.
Lo…on the other side of the coin
The world is like a small quilt
Covers the feet, leaving the head exposed
The kindhearted earth that asked for a heavy price
Was fast asleep to see all these
The hills of my homeland
Robbed of their greenery and their decorum
The gorges dried of running waters
Fed with raging rays of the sun.
On one side of the coin
Deluge of life
Parallel to perpetual lamentation
Drowned in my own tribulations
My spirit contented
Two opposites
Right and Left
The motherland, kindly earth
How long would you remain muted?
Let your woes fade like the dew
Shine, smile to your content
I cried and smiled
Overjoyed and resentful
Woe to you PRA
Amanuel Asrat translated from Tigrinya by Nasser Ahmedin
