Chin POEM

One Voice

(Chin National Day)

Van Biak Thang

No longer could the Chins stand the colony

Nor could they bear the hands of nobility;

Undaunted yet united they made their ways

Towards liberty they thus yearned in one voice.

Despite steep mountains and deep vales in between,

Days and nights on foot they traversed to the scene;

No rains and storms stopped their long journey and choice;

Together the Chins sought and fought in one voice.

Many a hand had tried but failed to part them

In course of seeking their national anthem;

Many years ago today penned a Chin song

Which in one voice they all sang along so strong.

Years of struggles for equal rights and freedom

To the Chins begot a national custom –

Chin National Day, brought up in harmony,

Marking the strength of one voice in unity.

Today ought the Chins to heed the tapestry

That history wove into a net of beauty,

Intertwined in the spirit of brotherhood,

In one voice firmly and steadily they stood.

**** Thanks 4 Reading ****

Chin National Day

Van Biak Thang

Let’s celebrate the day traditionally:

The day of truth, unity and assembly.

Hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder,

Children, women and men altogether,

Celebrate the day, so bright and clear.

Open your heart, your arms and your decanter,

To the land where we are bound together;

Let the sun and the rain stop you never.

O Come, you all, to the football ground!

Celebrate the day here and all around.

Dress and drape around in national costumes,

Delight in a circular dance by holding arms,

Zupu in the middle which breeds equality,

And exchange verses in air of tranquillity;

O Celebrate the day to its highest glory!

Hit the horns of mithan and strike the gongs,

Blow the trumpet and sing the songs,

To the ping-ping rhythm of the drums,

And start dancing all our national laams;

Celebrate the day in its deepest chimes.

Children, rejoice and have your time to gambol;

For men of strength and skills, blow the whistle,

And open the wrestling ground floored with chaff;

Women, let the vicinity be filled with claps.

Celebrate the day on and over the knaps.

Let’s celebrate our day traditionally.

O you all, come and enjoy its liberty!

Share the table of oneness in diversity,

And make its engraved history eternal.

Celebrate the day, uniquely national.

**** Ta 4 Reading ****

Unity against Colony

(Chin National Day)

Van Biak Thang

We were born free before the colony

In the land of beauty and liberty;

Life had its own right and identity.

We were decreed after the colony

In the hands of levy and cavalry;

Life made its own sole no more history.

We there rallied against the colony

Like a band of voices in harmony;

Life bade its own men call for legacy.

We here come and sing as a family

To the land on the day of unity

Life has its days of yore in memory

We here keep the day, holy and merry

For the land we did stand and stand firmly;

Life makes its own day, national and free.

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In Reminiscence Of New Year 2006 (London, UK)

Jimmy and I, tired and a bit shy
Out on our way to Ealing Broadway
Then on the bus to Avenue Road nearby
Which we went past. Oh, just one stop away!
A few paces back we walked and talked
Till the Fried Chicken shop on the corner
In a minute, Jimmy stopped and to me talked
"It'd be somewhere around here." Yes, for sure!
Neither of us had Ko Aung Shwe's number
Far as we reached, no one could tell us where
To the worse, Waiwai didn't pick up the call
But slowly and steadily did we go on stroll.
"Pa Biak, I think we get lost," said Jimmy
As he kept on going, yea, doubtedly
"Nearly there," said I as if familiar
As I too turned my head round in the air
No wonder why Jimmy stopped and smiled at me
Cos he saw Khet Khet coming out, nice and happy
And Saya Aung Shwe in Longyi with a frowned face
After a long zig and zag came a cool solace.
Off we took our shoes as if in Burma
Before making a rush to the loo - aha!
Then to the kitchen, busy and smelling nice
Where Ma Moe and Ma Tintin were cooking rice.
Smiles of warmth and mirth greeted us
As Saya Aung Shwe introduced them to us
Jimmy joined the team by chatting and tasting
And so did I by wiping and cleaning
***************************
A group of four came in before long,
Kaipi, Tualpi, Mungpi and Lian Tawng
Fresh, bright and delighted they were;
We felt pleased to meet them after one long year.
To our surprise and joy, Wai Wai oozed out
Into the busy kitchen where Jimmy made a shout
We started saying hi and asking how we were
Until nicely seasoned dinner was served so fair.
As the kitchen was busy frying and cooking
The people got engaged in talking and joking
While some went to the sitting room to share
Others stayed to enjoy juices and crisps on the chair
Funny was it for us to see the black pussycat
Sleeping on the sofa like a well-fed brat
Taking a few photos of her fantastic poses
I felt sorry that the flashes disturbed her dozes.
When the clock struck warning us to hurry
Dinner's made ready and served with many a curry
What a delicious meal we all had together
In the last hour of 2005, the finishing year!
We all moved into a nice sitting room
As we were drawing near the midnight bloom
What a nice meeting and eating we had
With such lovely friends in New Year's chat.
A midnight service of devotion was started
By singing a New Year song, dedicated
And Saya Aung Shwe gave a short preaching
Then the service ended by a group praying
Oh! There included a moment of confession -
A moment of sharing one's own definition
Squatting on the floor in a circle
We all had our says, so congenial
Joy and laughter followed the service
With jokes about the Chins in Burmese
Entertained by Jimmy The Jester
Till we said "Good Night" to each other
***************************************
Some went to rest and to sleep upstairs
And in the sitting room stayed others -
Wai Wai on the sofa and the rest on the floor
Where something happened that we couldn't ignore
Once the light was off and the room got dark
Saya Aung Shwe and Saya Kaipi took turns to bark
Just like two jeeps going up and down the hills
While Jimmy was wheezing like those bullcart's wheels
In the middle of this famous band playing was I
And sitting and listening on the sofa was Wai Wai
As if thinking how lucky Lian Tawng, Mungpi and Tualpi were
Who had gone home before the snoring music took power!
No one could stop them except for a moment to change
Even a pull on their toes by Wai Wai failed in vain
What an effort it would be for them to play like this
Until the dawn broke through the windows in peace!
After eating a nice brunch and taking a shower
We all headed for MCF to have a New Year prayer
With full of resolutions for the new year
Jimmy and I took Central Line in the misty air
One year has finished and another one begins
As we, human beings, just go along the routines
But a moment of happiness with friends we share
Remains as a token of memories in life each year.