05.11.2006
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A Eulogy to Eternity
(English version followed by Burmese one)
A Eulogy to Eternity
You never die,
Hey Thet Win Aung, You never die!
The peace stature of you enhanced
When your smile was added to your forehead
That look like the range wide and stretched.
You never die,
Hey Thet Win Aung, You never die!
Around early summer in 1992,
I still vividly remembered
You, gritting of your teeth, and what you’ve said,
As I, with tears in my eyes, applied some ointment
Over your fresh gushes on your back,
“Pal, this is an era that the rights are taken as wrongs
And the wrongs taken for the rights.
We’re going to face more torture and suffering ahead,
But, let’s right this distorted thing as best as we could.”
Yes, it is, indeed! As you've said,
Have you righted it by sacrificing with your whole life?
You never die,
Hey Thet Win Aung, You never die!
Your two legs, the inborn properties of you,
To carry your body had died earlier,
Instead, you, a disabled, carried them to the end.
‘Cause you loved Peace and wanted to build a society,
That recognizes equality of men and their values,
Is this a proof of your love sacrificing not the two legs alone,
But throwing away the whole lot of your life?
You never die,
Hey Thet Win Aung, You never die!
Now, in our motherland,
The White Expression campaign’s been on the way
And each and every person reveals ones desire
For the causes of Peace, Justice, Solidarity, etc. etc.
But, you not only wore a white shirt,
You letting us to put your body in the cremation chamber
And transforming your whole being into white ashes,
In the form of highest expression of white, isn’t it?
You never die,
Hey Thet Win Aung, You never die!
As long as the mausoleum of you and noble comrades
Enshrines in the hearts of each of us,
You never die, Thet Win Aung,
Hey Thet Win Aung, You never die!
(Translated by Mya Than Nyunt; original Burmese poem by Nay Ju)
(The poem read by Jimmy to DVB on the day of TWA’s hswamthut ceremony held after a week he passed away, written by present political prisoner of conscience, Ne Juu. This poem found its way out of the prison by the person who has dared to stake his or her freedom and risk torture. And, this poem has no title when it was read by Ko Jimmy so that I put one that is as I felt as I read the poem several times. If any person, who takes this action as a sin, please accepts my humble apology. Besides, as this poem is so beautiful, it actually discourages me to translate it. I could not find any grudge, hatred, or prejudice against the foe. Only painted and highlighted the forgiveness, purity and hope of the WHITE. I tried many times and disheartened through the process for sometime until today. It altogether took about 10 days to have enough courage and confident to do this calling. And I’ve tried my best. It is me who should be blamed if any person who is not satisfied with the translation.)
Comments:
May Ng
said _
It is hard to translate poems. How do you do it so well? Thank you.
Your Comments here_
Request: If you can kindly volunteer to translate BURMA DIGEST English articles into Burmese, please let us know burmadigest@tayzathuria.org.uk .
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