PITY THE NATION
Adaptation of the Original Poem by Khalil Gibran
Vikas Sood
PITY THE NATION - an adaptation by Vikas Sood
Pity the nation whose people are sheep
and whose shepherds mislead them.
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars
whose sages are silenced
and whose youth has no direction.
Pity the nation that raises not its voice
except to praise conquerors
and to acclaim the bully as hero.
Pity the nation that never dares,
to fight for their rights or freedom,
or challenge the corrupt.
Pity the nation whose leaders enjoy,
while people suffer in pain and misery
and kids sleep hungry and sick.
Pity the nation with many great faiths,
yet, people losing mutual respect,
and keep fighting over blinded views.
Pity the nation which despises her culture,
feels frenzy to follow the western flair,
and eager to ridicule own worthy traditions.
Pity the nation with many a language,
each greater, richer, sweeter and better
yet, takes pride in a foreign tongue.
Pity the nation being robbed of her great wealth,
and labelled among the poorest,
by her own greedy, stealing children.
Pity the nation whose people crave
to buy products built by her enemies,
and look down at ones made in own factories.
Pity the nation full of great minds,
yet, no discovery to make it prosper,
and, no invention to build its glory.
Pity the nation oh pity the people
who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away.
My nation, tears of thee,
O mother of greatest values,
O land of Spirituality and Wisdom !
-- Vikas Sood
