FUCKING SPEAK ENGLISH!
FUCKING SPEAK ENGLISH! The Hmong
translator said it, but the white
lady approved it. I was 10.
Then let's go to court. They did, but
I wasn't there. I was in
school, speaking English.
A game of language was set. And I
was a persistent player. So much that
I too am a translator.
10 years of unpaid labor, my
tongue a death roll inmate.
How do you say sunflower
again? Paj hnub-Paj noob? Was
it hli or li? I don't know, for
my tongue is dying.
Kawm lus Hmoob—busy! Kawm
ntawv Hmoob—ว่างก่อนนะ!
I was too busy learning
to FUCKING SPEAK ENGLISH that
I forgot to kawm lus Hmoob.
My tongue has died. English
has taken its spirit. Hmong is fighting for
it back. And Thai, เขายังรอฉันอยู่.
I don't know what for, but
I, too miss you.
Now that I
FUCKING SPEAK ENGLISH, who? Who
will qhia kuv hais lus Hmoob.
By RED
Note:
The Hmong text translate as follows:
"Paj hnub-Paj noob" means "Flower sun-Flower seeds"
"hli" means "moon"
"li" means "Lee (as in the Hmong surname)"
"Kawm lus Hmoob" means "Learn Hmong verbal language"
"Kawm ntawv Hmoob" means "Learn Hmong written language"
"qhia kuv hais lus Hmoob" means "teach me how to speak Hmong"
The Thai text translate as follows:
"ว่างก่อนนะ" means "when I'm free"
"เขายังรอฉันอยู่" means "it's still waiting for me"
Biography:
RED (she/her) is a Hmong artist in central Wisconsin. Currently a junior at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. RED's poetry stems from personal experiences of having lived through various adversities and struggles (genocide and the like). Her debut work was showcased in the Wausau Poetry Walk. She has worked as a bilingual victim advocate for domestic violence/sexual assault and is now teaching an ELL class at a non-profit organization. RED's favorite thing to do in her free time is eating fruits, with Mangosteen being her ultimate favorite.
No comments:
Post a Comment