Hynniewtrep

Hi again,
The US Independence Day saw lot of messages on Twitter.It reminded me of my own people and our journey through the travails and joys of existence.As part of the political milieu of India we have a part and a contribution to make. The first being to protect our culture so that we can give to others what is good and worthwhile from ours. this poem below was written quite some time back but I feel that its relevance is still contemporary.


Hynniewtrep
-The New Dawn


Awake to the call
in the break of this darkness before dawn .
dry your eyes,the tears fallen
for a battered mother earth
the tears falling from the eyes of mothers
weeping for fallen sons

Awake to the new hope that yearns to be born
Give in to the warmth of the smiles of new life
Bursting into innocent songs
from the mouth of babies who can hardly speak
‘Ko Khun u Hynniewtrep
Shwa ba ‘meingi kan sep’*

Give your hearts and your hands
to the cause of this motherland
Pray to the new day with reverence and awe
Pray to the heavens that never again will we see
what these past years saw
So that we may live
Strong in our knowledge of good and bad
Firm in our faith
united in our resolve
that ‘Hynniewtrep’ will resound
a monument to our deeds
and a legacy to the clans.
"Hynniewtrep, shwa ba meingi kan sep"
"Hynniewtrep", awake to the new dawn.

Erwin K. Syiem Sutnga
15th June, 2003
*{O Children of Hynniewtrep
Before the sun on us sets}

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