Sempena Hari Merdeka, mari kita baca – bukan nyanyi ye – lagu M. Nasir serta terjemahan yang sentuh hal-hal kemerdekaan dan kebebasan secara halus dan puitis.
Anak Anak Kita
by M. Nasir
Anak-anak kitakah yang berlari telanjang
Di bawah mentari sumbing
Sambil bernyanyi lagu
Ketakutan hari-hari ini
Anak-anak kitakah yang memikul beban
Kesilapan kita
Hingga dia tak kenal budaya
Canggung bangsa sendiri
Selamatkan anak kita
Dari padang jerangkap samar
Selamatkan anak kita
Orde baru politikus usang
Anak-anak kitakah yang bermain
Di hutan belukar
Dengan senapang kayu-ubi cambah
Tak kenal bahaya
Anak-anak kitakah yang tak tahu nak pulang
Bila petang
kerana terlalu sibuk main lastik
Dan berpistolan
Pistol-pistolan
Jaga-jaga anak kita
Jangan sampai jadi hamba
Jaga-jaga anak kita
Kita ini orang merdeka
Panggillah mereka pulang
Ayah nak ajar
Tentang kurang ajar
Jadi mereka takkan sendiri lagi
Panggillah mereka pulang
Ayah nak ajar
Tentang kurang ajar
Jadi mereka takkan dimomok lagi
Fikir Selamatkah kita di tangan tukang karut itu
Fikir Selamatkah kita di tangan dalang wayang itu
Fikir Selamatkah kita di tangan ahli koporat itu
Fikir Selamatkah kita di tangan doktor jiwa itu
Fikir Selamatkah kita di tangan pakar kitab itu
Fikir Selamatkah kita di tangan tuhan-tuhan itu
[divider type=”short”]
Our Children
by national treasure M.Nasir
Are those our children that run around naked
Under that broken sun
as they sing songs
In These fearful days
Are those our children shouldering the burdens
of our mistakes
Until they don’t know their own ways
Uneasy with their own people
Save our children
from the minefields
Save our children
New regimes, obsolete politics
Are those our children playing
in the woods
with cassava branches for guns
blind to danger
Are those our children who don’t know to come home
in the evening
because they’re too busy shooting slingshots
and playing guns
playing with their play guns
Watch over our children
Don’t let them become slaves
Watch over our children
We are an Independent People
Call those kids home
Daddy wants to teach em
all about disrespect
So they won’t be on their own again
Call those kids home
Daddy wants to teach em
all about disrespect
So they can’t be spooked again
Think Are we safe in the hands of those story tellers
Think Are we safe in the hands of those puppeteers
Think Are we safe in the hands of those boards of directors
Think Are we safe in the hands of those brain scanners
Think Are we safe in the hands of those book peddlers
Think Are we safe in the hands of all these gods
[divider type=”short”]
Other translations of M. Nasir’s music: Perjalan, The Journey
