The catfish


Ikan keli tak dapat ke ulu
Empangan jadi penunggu

Ibu keli hanya merindu
Tiadalah lagi anak keli

Hilanglah semua anak keli
Nak ke mana lagi ibu

Nak kemana lagi ibu keli
Hanya boleh turun ke laut

Ikan keli turun ke laut
Pantang dicabar penyu

Pantang dicabar penyu jantan
Biar putih tulang, jangan putih mata

Where will the catfish go

The catfish can no longer
go home to spawn upriver

The dams and men block
The way with engineering rock

She has no choice really
but to go onwards to sea

The unknown might attack
She may never come back

Yet she will evolve, unlike her father
and become stronger than ever...

4 comments:

  1. yes she will, adversity has a way of honing us...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cool...I like this catfish.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for sharing the translation! I like the poem.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh yea!! It is quite sad how we have to keep adapting ourselves to the changing environments... but that's life.. and it goes on!!

    Cheers to this brave catfish!!

    Well writ, my friend!

    ReplyDelete

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