26616: Lucas (poetry) DIASPORA - Creole & English (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Georges Lucas <maloukwi@yahoo.com>

  Diaspora

  Leu ou grangou ou rele mwen collect
  Leu ou pa kapab peye lwaye kay, telefon sonnen san rete
  Leu ti moun pa kapab ale lekol, se mwen ke ou rele
  Leu dlo desann kraze kay, ou dim tanpri fe yon bagay souple
  Leu lopital, Syklonn, lanteman tombe sou kou ou se mwen ke ou tcheke

  When you are starving you call me collect
  When you cannot make rent, you keep calling me collect
  When the flood waters destroy your home, you ask me for help
  When sickness, hurricane, or funeral costs hit you, you seek my assistance

  Chak mwa se mwen ki voye lajan pou kembe kay la
  Chak mwa se mwen ki voye lajan pou achte rad
  Chak mwa se mwen ki voye diri, pwa, manje pou ou
  Leu sa pa bon se mwen ki se sel lespwa ou, soley ou
  Si mwen pa voye, kay la nan mize, kay la ap soufri

  Every month I send you money to provide for you
  Every month I send you money to clothe yourself
  Every month I send you rice and beans to feed yourself
  When things are bad I am your hope, your sun
  If I don?t send anything, the house is in misery and suffers

  Mwen voye banou 950 milyon dola ameriken chak ane
  Kod lombrit mwen marye avek ou fre mwen, avek Ayiti
  Leu nap soufri mwen soufri tou, leu laperez sou nou li sou mwen tou
  Represyon gouvenman pase yo te fose mwen deyo
  Mwen pat janm vle pati, zenglendo, attaches, chime pouse mwen deyo
  Pandan tout lane sa yo mwen pataje tout sa mwen genyen avek nou

  I send you $950 million every year
  My umbilical cord is attached to you, brother, to Haiti
  When you suffer I suffer with you, when you are scared I am too
  Abuses of previous governments forced me from the country
  I never wanted to leave, political thugs and chimeres forced me out
  During all those years away, I shared everything I earned with you

  Si mwen pa voye lajan pou twa mwa peyi ap exploze
  Ti 50, 100, 200 dola pa mwa ke mwen voye se la vi
  Eske ou konnen nom mwen? Kiles mwen ye?
  Mwen rele Diaspora e mwen se Ayisyen tankou ou
  Mwen se fre ou, kouzen ou, papa ou, manman ou,
  Mwen se tonton ou, ma tant ou, mwen se Ayisyen

  If I didn?t send money for three months the country would explode
  The $50, $100, $200 dollars I send every month sustains life
  Do you know me?  Do you know who I am?
  My name is Diaspora and I?m a Haitian just like you
  I am your brother, your cousin, your father, your mother
  I am your uncle, your aunt, I am Haitian

  Juif ameriken se juif, juif franse se juif, juif russe se juif
  Ayisyen ameriken se ayisyenm ayisyen kanadien se ayisuen
  Mwen pa dominiken fre mwen, mwen se Ayisyen natif natal
  Ke ou an Ayiti oswa lotbo dlo nou tout se Ayisyen
  Pou kisa nap goumen? Leu Ayiti led, nou tout led
  Leu Ayiti bel nou tout bel, Ayiti bezwen nou tout.

  Jewish Americans are Jews, French Jews are Jews, Russian Jews are Jews
  Haitian Americans are Haitian, Haitian Canadians are Haitian
  I am not Dominican, my brother, I am a native Haitian
  Whether you are in Haiti or overseas we are all Haitians
  Why are we fighting?  When Haiti is ugly, we are all ugly
  When Haiti is beautiful we are all beautiful, Haiti needs all of us.


  Stanley Lucas
  Washington, D.C.
  2005



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