Translation of Poems

I translated some Kabyars by Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War, Laureate Poet)

• Shwe YaDu Lann
  Commemorating RIT Golden Jubilee in 2014
• To The Shwe Duo
  In memory of Saya U Tin Shwe (EP66) and Saya U Hla Shwe (T69)
• Computer In My Heart
  Old Kabyar written in Singapore

Shwe YaDu Lann (Kabyar)
by Tekkatho Moe War

Shwe YaDu Lann
Let it be rough [but it’s tough].
Flowers are blossoming again.
Fear not the summer
Care not the rain [drops]
or the thick fogs & darkness
or if winter’s not true to its form

Shwe YaDu Lann
Let it be rough.
No gentle stream flowing
Fear not high winds
Care not dense clouds
Topsy turvy [come what may]
Can paddle upstream
With strong mind & conviction
Place where heroes [Thu Ye Kaungs] are produced .

Swel Daw Myaing Dann
Shwe YaDu Lann
is a start [of a journey]
To raise the Banner loftily
to the skies, to the Zenith
displaying our Thitsa (vow of truth and integrity)

To The Shwe Duo (Kabyar)
by Tekkatho Moe War

SHWE duo
Blossom in unison
Disappear together
Free from complaint
Even with thin breath
Showed mark [of courage and wisdom]
Never ever wavered …
Pressed by burden
At the awaited turn [of journey’s end]
Body — inheritance [from previous lives]
Succumbs [to failing health]
Yet, “Wei-nyin” is fresh, alive and hovering.
[ Wei-nyin = ဝိညာဥ္ ]

Computer In My Heart
By Tekkatho Moe War

Desktops
to select at will, computers [galore]
encircle [me], obey my command
in an AC room, touch keypad
where finger tips lie, [work] and rest
somewhere in a foreign land

Computers
welcome data — texts, messages, numbers
with open arms. Fabulous memory
store forever, retrieve [compute & display]

Deep within my heart
stored & preserved, [notable] events of my life
love, hate, loss, gain [joy, pain]
assessed & archived — in my heart’s computer.
Shaking, pushing, … to close it’s door
would be in vain. My dear beloved
do you think I can ever forget?