Felix Morriseau-Leroy

Water

Translation by Marie Helene Laraque

Water that was here before everything
Water that will remain when all is finished
Water used to baptise children
Water used to wash our bodies when were dead

Rain water

River water

Water in fountains

Drops of water in early morning dew
Round drops in the new moon
Water that make our gardens beautiful
Water that we drink that we use for cooking our food

Water in cups made from trees
Water in big metal barrels
Water in earthen jars

Water that we spill when we call the spirits
Water deep ht river bottom where Shiibee the goddess lives
Water in the pond where the children bathe
Water in the sea where the fish swim

Pool water

Lake water

Sea water

All you water that come from the sky
All you water that run on the earth
Give us strength so we can hold on
Give us courage so we can resist so we can survive

Water in the dew
In the waterfall
Water that run under the earth

Water that boil over the fire
Water that can also kill the fire
Water that was here before everything
Water that will remain when all is finished

Salute to Nicaragua

Translation by Translation by Jeffrey Knapp

or those who do not know me
let me once and for all say
that I am a little Maroon
who was only three years old
when the American Marines descended on Haiti
like vultures over a mother thicken
leaving all her chicks in jeopardy

my family explained to me
what Haitians stood for
how the grandfathers of my grandfathers fought
to reverse the condition
which was inside out

they broke the chain of slavery
to proclaim themselves
free and independent adults
not the houseboys of anyone

they explained we suffered an insult
more terrible than any face slap or kick in the back
our country does not belong to us anymore
since we let the whites in our house
--white in our language means foreigner--
I started right away to Maroon them
in newspapers and books

I reached the age to learn Haiti's lesson
from Spain's Christopher Columbus
to Americas 1915
that was enough for a young boy to be proud
that was enough to explode his stomach
I grew with my dreams full of battles
battles I won and battles I lost

just then the same vulture
descended on Cuba and Nicaragua
took out the soul of every young rooster
who wanted to sing and crow
it was after Charlemagne Peralte died
I first heard his name
my sleep was loaded with flame trees
when I began to hear of Sandino

Germany could have swallowed France
the U.S. could have as well have declared war
as for me, Maroon,
my mind kept vigil in the hills of Nicaragua,
for the vultures who swarmed from the North
could not finish the fighting cocks of the South

Hitler could have smashed Europe
Franco could have destabilized Spain
I don't say I didn't feel sorry for them
but Maroon that I am
what lifted me up and let me back down
shook me and put me on my feet again
was news from the woods of Nicaragua

perhaps there would be no Hiroshima
if there were no Pearl Harbor
but what role has a Maroon in the belly of the bull
when America invented Somosa
and after Somosa, Somosa all the more
I felt Jean-Claude Duvalier was next

the Cubans were the first on this side of the world
to save the honor of our fighting cocks
later the Vietnamese gave the U.S. a lesson
that resembles the beating Haiti inflicted on France
nevertheless, vultures have no memory

the number of valiant women and women who
perished in Nicaragua before Somosa's end
sent him to die in the arms of the CIA
when Uncle Sam and Ton Ton Macoute
are sucking each others tongues night and day

we Maroons that watched took courage
we celebrate, we sing
and sing
salute, salute, beautiful salute for Sandino

CIA who heard us sing gave orders to arrest us
throw us in jail, kill us
we sang louder
hail, hail, beautiful hail for Sandino

CIA got mad
gathered all Somodstas who followed their boss to Miami
paid all good-for-nothings they found
put up an army they called Contras
to fight all fighting cocks who escaped

how could my anger not explode
when I sit in Miami and hear
that the United States Congress votes money
for that army to assassinate children and adults alike
then shows us what is waiting for us
as soon as we send Duvalier to join Somosa

how do you expect us not to explode
when we heard the vultures descend upon Grenada
to set another record for America
the record for the biggest country in the blessed world
to smash the smallest country, in the cursed world
how do you expect me not to explode

read the American newspaper watch the TV
listen to the radio the minister's speeches
if they are not talking about invasion
if they are not preparing for another Grenada
it must be I Maroon who is stupid and understands nothing

but so many of Uncle Sam's nephews pretend not to understand
so they can all sleep well at night
for if they did understand they could never sleep
what I see for you Uncle Sam
even Tiresias does not see

I call you uncle but I am not your nephew
I don't like you I don't hate you
you have a lot of nephews who are Maroons like me
that is why I tell you what they don't
you will lose that war
with the tiny bit rest of prestige you have

the war you are about to launch in Central America
you'll lose, as you lost the war in Indo- China
I'm not the only one who sees it
some of your nephews are not afraid to talk
you dose your ears so as not to hear them
many innocent ones will pay for the guilty

there are plenty of Maroons in the U.S.
black Maroons and white maroons
plenty Maroons in all countries
who are tired of all Ton Ton Macoutes
black or white

the only way to restore peace on earth
is for Nicaragua to give the U.S
one good beating
that would surprise Germany, France, and England
make Italy, Spain, Japan think twice
the Pentagon would void its weapon orders

the CIA would fire its murderers

its time for Maroons of all countries
to meet in a grand bwakaiman
for all fighting cocks of North and South to stand
and close the beak of the slanderers
and cut the wings of all vultures

then, from Haiti to Chile
all of us could freely sing
hail Charlemagne Peralte
beautiful hail for Sandino

salute beautiful salute for Allende
salute salute for all

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Cover Design: Joseph McNair