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[RCFRANC]

Mèsi papa Desalin

Papa Desalin, mèsi by Felix Morisseau-Leroy

Chak fwa m’ santi sa-m ye

M’ di mèsi, Desalin

Chak fwa m’ tande youn nèg koloni

Ki poko lib pale

M’di: Desalin, mèsi

Se mwen k’ konnen sa ou ye pou mwen

Mèsi, papa Desalin

Si m’ youn nonm

Se pou m’ di : mèsi, Desalin

Si m’ ouvè je-m gade

Se gras a ou, Desalin

Si m’ leve tèt mwen pou m’ mache

Se gras a ou, Desalin

Chak fwa m’ gade lòt nèg

M’ di mèsi, Desalin

Lè m’ wè sa k’ ap pase lòt kote

M’ di: mèsi, Desalin

Lè m’ tande kèk nèg parèy mwen pale

M’ di: mèsi, papa Desalin

Se mwen k’ konnen sa ou ye pou mwen

Towo Desalin

Desalin, san mwen

Desalin, de grenn je-m

Desalin, zantray mwen

Se mwen k’ konnen

Se pou tout nèg di:

Mèsi Desalin

Se ou k’ montre nou chimen nou

Mèsi Desalin

Se ou k’ limyè nou

Desalin

Se ou ki ban–n tè n’ ap pile a

Syèl ki sou tèt nou an

Pyebwa, larivyè

Lanmè, letan, se ou

Desalin, se ou k’ ban-n solèy

Ki ban-n lalin

Ou ki ban-n sè, frè-n

Manman, papa-n, pitit nou

Se ou ki fè-n youn jan youn mannyè

Nou pa kou tout nèg

Si m' gade tout mounn nan je

Se ou k’ ap gade yo, Desalin

Se ou ki ban-n dlo pou n’ bwè

Ou ki ban-n manje pou n’ manje

Mèsi, papa Desalin.

Epi, se ou ki ban-n kay pou n’rete

Ou ki ban-n kote pou n’ fè jaden

Se ou k’ montre-n chante

Ou k’ montre-n di: non

Yo di gan nèg ki di: wi,wi.

Gan nèg ki di: yèssè

Ou montre-n di: non

Desalin, montre tout nèg

Tout nèg sou latè di: non

Mèsi, papa Desalin

Gan nèg ki vle esplike:

“Tan jodi pa tan pase

E ke wi alèkile

La fraternité humaine

L’ humanité, la civilisation”

Tou sa, se franse

Mwen menm, se Desalin m’ konnen

M’ di: mèsi, papa-m

Se ou k’ fè-m

Manman-m se pitit ou

Tigason, tifi, se pitit ou tou

Mèsi, Desalin

Pitit-pitit mwen, se pitit ou

Wa Desalin, mèsi

M’ pa bezwen pale pou drapo a!

Pa bezwen pale pou Lakayè

Pou Gonayiv!

Yo di sa deja

E ki mounn k’ ap tande sa ankò?

Mès rekwiyèm 17 oktòb?

Ki mounn ki pral Katedral?

Diskou Minis?

Ki mounn k’ap koute sa?

Men, sa m’ di la a

Se youn sèl mo: mèsi

Mèsi Desalin papa-m

Gan mounn ki pa konnen

Fò m’ di yo

San ou nou pa ta la a

Mèsi, papa Desalin

Epi, fini ak Patè Nostè-w la a

Monseyè, Desalin pa mouri

Ase pale franse, Minis

Desalin pap janm mouri

Desalin la

Nèg sa a ta ka mouri!

Desalin nan kè-m

Lam-o-pye

Desalin ap veye

Youn jou Desalin va leve

Jou sa a, nou tout n’ a konnen

N’ a konnen si 1804

N’ a konnen si Lakayè

N’ a konnen si Lakrèt-a-Pyewo

N’ a konnen si Vètyè

Desalin te fè tou sa

Pou ti nèg ekri powèm

Pou Minis fè diskou

Pou pè chante Te Deoum

Pou Monseyè bay labsout

Desalin pa bezwen labsout

Tou sa Desalin fè bon

Youn jou Desalin va leve

W’ a tande nan tout lanmè Karayib

Y’ape rele kote-l

Desalin pran lèzam

Arete-l

Lè a, w’ a tande vwa-l kon loray

Tout nèg koupe tèt boule kay

W’ a tande nnan tout Lamerik

Y’ ape rele: rete-l

Vwa Desalin deja an radyo

Koupe tèt boule kay

Nan tout "Harlem" Desalin ap mete lòd

W’ a tande: bare Desalin

Jouk "Dakar"

Jouk "Johannesburg"

W’ a tande: kote Desalin pase?

Koupe tèt boule kay

Desalin pa bezwen labsout

Pa bezwen padon Bondye

Okontrè: Desalin se bra Bondye

Desalin, se jistis Bondye

Pa bezwen Patè Nostè Monseyè

Ni eskiz nèg yo vle mande blan a yo

Desalin pa bezwen

Pou tou sa l’ fè m’ di: papa Desalin, mèsi

Pou tou sa l’ pral fè

M’ di: mèsi, papa Desalin.

Thank you Father Dessalines* by Morisseau-Leroy

Thank you Dessalines,

Father Dessalines, thank you

When I realize who I am today

I say Thank you, Dessalines

Every time I hear a colonized Negro,

A Negro that is still captive of censorship

I say : Thank you, Father Dessalines

Only I, know what you mean to me

Thank you, Father Dessalines

If I am a whole human being today

I have to say : Thank you Father Dessalines

If I can open my eyes and look at my surroundings

It is thanks to you, Dessalines

If I walk with my head up high

It is thanks to you, Dessalines

Every time I look at another Negro

I say : Thank you Dessalines

When I look at what’s happening in the world

I say : Thank you, Dessalines

When I hear the White men’s voices

I say : Father Dessalines, thank you

When I hear my brothers and sisters

I say : Thank you, Father Dessalines

Only I, know, what you mean to me

Mighty Dessalines,

Dessalines, my blood,

Dessalines, apple of my eye

Dessalines, my womb

Only I know why

All Negroes must say

Thank you Dessalines,

You showed us the way

Thank you Dessalines

You are our guiding light

Dessalines,

You gave us the earth we walk on

The skies over our heads,

The trees, the rivers

The sea, the ponds, it is all you,

Dessalines, it is you who gave us the Sun

The Moon,

You gave us our brothers, our sisters

Our mothers, our fathers, our children

It is you who shaped us this way

Who thought us to be unique

We are not like other Negroes

When I look people straight in the eye

It is you who is looking at them, Dessalines

It is you who gives us water and who quenches our thirst

It is you who gives us food and satisfies our hunger

Thank you, Father Dessalines

And, it is you who gives us shelter

The earth we harvest

It is you who taught us to sing

It is you who taught us to say : NO

They say some Negroes say : yes, yes!

Other says: Yes, master !

You taught us to say : NO!

Dessalines taught all Negroes on earth how to say : NO

Thank you, Father Dessalines

Some Negroes try to explain

That today does not resemble yesterday

And that now,

Human fraternity,

Humanity, civilization,

All that is gibberish!

All I know is Dessalines!

I say : Thank you, dear father

You gave me life

My mother is your daughter

Young boys and young girls are your children

Thank you, Dessalines

My grandchildren are your children

King Dessalines, thank you

No need to mention our flag!

No need to evoke Archaie

And Gonaïves

We already mentioned it!

Who needs to hear it again?

October 17th requiem mass?

Who visits the cathedral?

The Minister’s speech?

Who will listen to it?

As far as I am concerned

I will say one word : thank you

Thank you Father Dessalines

Some do not know,

I must tell them

That without you we would not exist

Thank you, Father Dessalines

Let us finish with our Pater noster

Your Eminence, Dessalines is not dead

Stop speaking French, Minister

Dessalines will never die

Dessalines is amongst us

This man cannot die!

Dessalines is in my heart

Ready to fight

He’s watching

The day will come when Dessalines will rise

That day, everyone will know

We will know if Dessalines made

1804

Archaie

Crête-à-Pierrot

And Vertières

So our writers could write poetry

So our ministers could say speeches

So our priests could sing Te Deum

So Your Eminence could give absolution

Dessalines does not need absolution

All that Dessalines accomplished is respectable

One day Dessalines will rise

And shouts will come from the Caribbean sea

Asking : Where is he?

Dessalines took his weapons

Arrest him!

At that moment, we will hear his voice like thunder

At the signal: Decapitate them, burn their houses!

They will ask that he be arrested

Dessalines’ voice will already be on the air

Decapitate them, burn their houses!

In Harlem, Dessalines is putting the house in order

We will hear : Arrest him!

All the way to Dakar

All the way to Johannesburg

We will hear : where has Dessalines gone?

Decapitate them, burn their houses?

Dessalines does not need absolution

Dessalines does not need God’s forgiveness

On the contrary : Dessalines is God’s hand

Dessalines is God’s justice

He does not need Your Eminence’s Pater noster

Some men are requesting the White men’s excuses

Dessalines does not need these actions

For all Dessalines accomplished : Father Dessalines, thank you

For all he will do

I say : Thank you , Father Dessalines.

* Translated by Marie-Hélène Destiné

[karizmua]

Well said RCFRANC, long time no read!