Celebrating and examining the values of freedom, patriotism and civilised humanity.
Reflecting upon American passion for freedom and the role America played in 1944 and 1945 in ending Japanese colonialism in Indonesia, Jakarta poet Maman A Majd Binfas sent me the above Indonesian words.
Lest We Forget
Geoff Fox, 7th January 2021, Down Under
Poets often say the same things in different ways.
Maman A Majid Binfas writes and teaches in Jakarta where wisdoms grow.
Geoff Fox, 4th January, 2020, Terra Nullius
The Indonesian text here is an edited version of a quote from a Rumi inspired passage in the book “Mamonisme” by Maman A Majid Binfas of Jakarta. It means “Give a home to their bodies but not to their souls. Their souls reside in the future.”
My English lines are inspired by an American equivalent of Rumi, country singer Paul Siebel.
Lest we forget: children can unite us.
Without them our world dies.
Geoff Fox 31st December 2020 Down Under
This is a transcreation from the Indonesian language poem “Ayah” by Maman A Majid Binfas.
Fathers and mothers build us.
Geoff Fox, 21st December, 2020, Australia
This is a transcreation from the Indonesian language poem “Ibu” by Maman A Majid Binfas.
Mothers are the foundation of everything.
Geoff Fox 17th December, 2020, Australia.
Good mannered culture opposes the insulting barbarous global culture: “Who are you and !?/Who am I if not you?/Who are you if not yourself?/Who are you if not me?”
On this date in 1937, a new Asian imperialism commenced the massacre called the rape of Nanking.
In contrast, Indonesian culture combines the passion of revolution with soft calm kebersamaan – togetherness.
Geoff Fox, 13 December, 2020, Down Under
