If you come to a stony place

If you come to a stony place

If you come to a stony place
you can see the river.
then alone can you meet the waterbirds.
If you come to a stony place
If you come to a stony place
you can see the wind.
then alone can you meet the clouds.
If you come to a stony place
If you come to a stony place
you can see waterbirds.
then alone can you meet the sunshine.
If you come to a stony place

you can see clouds.

If you come to a stony place

you can see sunshine.

If you come to a stony place

I can bend my knees on the stony place.

If you come to a stony place

I can gladly bend my knees on the stony place.

Yes, indeed. If you come to the stony place

deep in the South Han River,

truly happy, to the point of tears,

I can bend both knees on the stony place.

If you come to a stony place

then alone can you meet the river.

If you come to a stony place

then alone can you meet the wind.

In the Midst of Hardship by Latiff Mohidin

At dawn they returned home

their soaky clothes torn

and approached the stove

their limbs marked by scratches

their legs full of wounds

but on their brows

there was not a sign of despair

The whole day and night just passed

they had to brave the horrendous flood

in the water all the time

between bloated carcasses

and tiny chips of tree barks

desperately looking for their son’s

albino buffalo that was never found

They were born amidst hardship

and grew up without a sigh or a complaint

now they are in the kitchen, making

jokes while rolling their ciggarete leaves.