I, a Khmer
I, a Khmer eating Trakuon(1), grateful to Yuon(2), wearing Duon(3), Like to sing the Vietnamese language;Lack of lesson, dare not argue with Viet, Then, accept to lose land, nation, religion, and ancestors’ heritage;Like to show off, get drunk in the bars, buy poor young girls to satisfy sexual desire;Swindle with court, rob someone’s property, create problems in society.
Making cake without flour, boiling water without making fire(4), Suck the blood of the poor like leeches, Thick face(5) like locomotive no brain for good or bad, merits or sin. Grow mango trees reap mangoes, grow Sleng(6) reap sleng, Lord Buddha taught good deeds produce good merits, do bad get bad in return.Whether people are rich or poor, ill will or wholesome, or hermits, they will all die.
I, a Khmer, scared of enemies, strong with Khmer people, Cutting trees, eating dog meat,Have big liver like a gecko, grasp whatever is in sight even if it is my mother’s, Rough skin, sticky toes like caramel, like to relax in Hue (7) city
Rice fields lost in Daung village, Romeas Hek, Prasaut, Svay Teab, Kompong Roh, Khmer suffer along the border in Rotanak Kiri, Mondol Kiri, Kratie, Kompong Cham, Prey Veng, Takeo, Kompot, and Svay Rieng.Nothing left Khmers suffer lack of food, water, land, nostalgic for Kampuchea Krom.Khmer suffer, killing each other,
With long term suffering, no compassion left, Khmers are divided. They kill, attack, oppress, and deceive one another, and take revenge, but, they bow before their enemies.
I, a Khmer eating frog, with a black heart as a crow, hard head like iron, like to argue. Without thinking of tomorrow, praise the strong in order to fill my stomach. A strange species, poisonous as scorpion, divides his own nation to favor others. I, a Khmer riding a water buffalo’s back, who wants to be rich, Have only empty words and an evil heart, Fear of other race, with no conscience, willing to shrink down the territory. To expand own authority, even in a cage.
I, a Khmer eating Trakuon(1), grateful to Yuon(2), wearing Duon(3), Like to sing the Vietnamese language;Lack of lesson, dare not argue with Viet, Then, accept to lose land, nation, religion, and ancestors’ heritage;Like to show off, get drunk in the bars, buy poor young girls to satisfy sexual desire;Swindle with court, rob someone’s property, create problems in society.
Making cake without flour, boiling water without making fire(4), Suck the blood of the poor like leeches, Thick face(5) like locomotive no brain for good or bad, merits or sin. Grow mango trees reap mangoes, grow Sleng(6) reap sleng, Lord Buddha taught good deeds produce good merits, do bad get bad in return.Whether people are rich or poor, ill will or wholesome, or hermits, they will all die.
I, a Khmer, scared of enemies, strong with Khmer people, Cutting trees, eating dog meat,Have big liver like a gecko, grasp whatever is in sight even if it is my mother’s, Rough skin, sticky toes like caramel, like to relax in Hue (7) city
Rice fields lost in Daung village, Romeas Hek, Prasaut, Svay Teab, Kompong Roh, Khmer suffer along the border in Rotanak Kiri, Mondol Kiri, Kratie, Kompong Cham, Prey Veng, Takeo, Kompot, and Svay Rieng.Nothing left Khmers suffer lack of food, water, land, nostalgic for Kampuchea Krom.Khmer suffer, killing each other,
With long term suffering, no compassion left, Khmers are divided. They kill, attack, oppress, and deceive one another, and take revenge, but, they bow before their enemies.
I, a Khmer eating frog, with a black heart as a crow, hard head like iron, like to argue. Without thinking of tomorrow, praise the strong in order to fill my stomach. A strange species, poisonous as scorpion, divides his own nation to favor others. I, a Khmer riding a water buffalo’s back, who wants to be rich, Have only empty words and an evil heart, Fear of other race, with no conscience, willing to shrink down the territory. To expand own authority, even in a cage.
Poem by: Mam Sonando
Translation by: Ieng Mala
(1) Watercress
(2) Vietnamese
(3) Vietnamese conical hat
(4) A colloquial metaphor for cheating or tricking someone. i.e., obtaining something without effort by exploiting others.
(5) Shameless, Careless of criticism
(6) Fruits to make Strychnine, poisonous fruits.
(7) Vietnam city
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