Yo kartah di korpu stranjeru / I carry the body eccentric
Poesia na Kristang, with an English translation
Dosora binti.
Dos mil binti tres.
Peskisador Kristang inda ta papiah,
inda ta lembrah,
inda ta dah mostramintu
di tudu eli sa mostrah
pra igrih korsang di tudu banda di mundu.
Kauzu olotu falah jenti Kristang prigasozu.
Olotu falah jenti Kristang nteh fortidang.
Olotu falah jenti Kristang gostah
santah bong-bong na sentru di fogu,
rentu di montanya,
basu di bafu,
sperah Deus lo judah kung tudu.
Presizu ngua deus.
Presizu ngua angkoza sagradu,
ngua letori pra limpiah yo sa pekadu
desah olotu podih sibrih nubu
pra amiang sa labutah skuru.
Presizu deus kung tudu eli sa seu.
Mas justu podih buskah isti otru angkoza pra judah:
Yo sa korpu impegra,
ngua forsa di kriolu eletriku,
ngua maris di hierosa sexy,
ngua sonu di prendisa fikah tudu sa saguati eternu.
Two twenty.
Two thousand and twenty-three.
The Kristang researcher is still speaking,
still thinking,
still presenting
of all of his showing
to awaken hearts of all parts of the world.
Because they said Kristang people are lazy.
They said Kristang people have no courage.
They said Kristang people like to sit carefully at the centre of fire,
inside the mountain,
underneath the breath,
waiting for god to come and help them all.
I need a god.
I need something holy,
a shrine to clean up my sins
such that they can be used again
for tomorrow's dark labours.
I need god and all of their heavens.
But all I could find was this other thing to help me:
My body indomitable,
a force of creole electric,
a wave so deliciously gay,
a dream of learning that becomes everyone's eternal gift.