THE ANCIENT ROCKS OF CHERRA

                                            



This land is old, too old
and withered for life to be easy.

Poverty eats into the hills and squeezes
a living from stones and caterpillars
gathered for out-of-town drunks
each market day.

Where the serpent’s death throes ¹
cut deep wounds into the land
lie deep gorges like fiendish mouths
yawning for desperate victims.

There is nothing remarkable here
only this incredible barrenness.

Men and trees have left their habitats
to a crude and lowly breed like brush,
but the sight of dark grey rocks like sages
spells home to me.

KI MAWSIANG KULONG KUMAH KA SOHRA

KI MAWSIANG KULONG KUMAH KA SOHRA

                                            (Na ka Bynta u Nigel Uba Kylli)



Kane ka ri ka la tymmen, ka la tymmen shan diengduh
bad ka la ringsdot ba ka jingim kan pahuh.

Ka kyrduh ka kbong ia ki lum bad ka kyndang
ia ka bam na ki maw bad ki ñiangphlang
ba la tam na ka bynta ki buaid rud nong
man la ka Ïewbah Khliehshnong.

Hangta ba ki jingkyrthat iap jong u Thlen
ki pynpra ia ki lum ia ki them
don ki lhuh bah kum ki tyngam ekjakor
kiba ang ap ia kito ba la ban than ka lyngkor.

Ym don hangne kano kano ka bashynna
lait tang kane ka len len basuda.

Ki kynrem, ki diengbah ki la ieh la ki tyllong
ha kito ki raitong kum ki law sah khyrdong
hynrei ki mawsiang baiong kum ki riew rim pakulong
ki pynpaw ha nga ia ka dur jong ka shnong.


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