“Zel ba-Shlomo”: A Poem by Basna Beth Hanne
After my father’s passing, I received an email from someone I didn’t know. She told me that even though she had never had the chance to meet my dad, she had written a poem about him, and that she would send it to me if I liked. It was called “Zel ba-Shlomo” (Go in Peace).
I thanked her and asked her to please send it to me so I could share it with my family, and if it was ok with her, on Facebook (with an English translation for those who don’t read Suryoyo). I loved her touching poem but her response to my question really made me respect her; “I wrote the poem in Assyrian letters. It is important for me that it is written in Assyrian in order to promote [our] language. So if you share it on Facebook, please [do so] with the Assyrian letters and you can post also the English translation. In Assyrian there is a rhyme, in the English translation there is no rhyme.”
Here was a young Assyrian woman who was living in the Western world but still had such deep respect for our language. Later when I asked her where she lived so I could include it in the post, she told me it doesn’t matter where she lives now; “I am from Tur Abdin, Beth-Nahrin, and I want to be known as someone from there.”
What an inspiration to us all, especially our younger generations. Living in diaspora does not mean we can’t have great pride in our nation and language!
Basna, thank you for your nationalistic pride, for your lovely poem about a man who many have told me was a nationalistic father to all our people, and for carrying on a tradition that celebrates our beautiful language.
Zel ba-Shlomo
Zel ba-shlomo Ninos Aho
Gab foruqan Yeshu” Mshiho
Lebo d-kulan ko foyesh Tliho
Ema d-mefrash menan aho
Kenor zabno lo Tre le d-sholat
w-oflo napshokh balHuD d-Hozat
Lo, “amokh kule ko Hozat
w lu athro daru ko qorat
K-zorat b-qanyokh di Hirutho
l-BethNahrin mothan lhiqutho
Akh Habtho d-HeTo b-leb “laymutho
d-mHarro Ashur mi mshabdutho
Lo k-Tofe bahro d-suryoyutho
Kitla umthan kawkbo Hatho
Bi malkutho shmayonitho
Ho k-Hayri alan abohotho
Go In Peace
Go in peace Ninos Aho
To our saviour Jesus Christ
Our hearts are torn apart
When a brother leaves us
The harp of time did not silence you
And did not let you see only yourself
No, you see all your people
And you call, “Return to the homeland!”
You sow with your pen of freedom
Longing for our homeland Beth-Nahrin
Like a wheat of grain in the heart of the youth
To liberate Assyria from bondage
The light of the Assyrian people won’t go out
Our nation has a new star
In the heavenly kingdom
Behold, the forefathers are watching over us
-Zalgai Aho
Posted by Zalgai Aho on Monday, January 6th, 2014 @ 2:04AM
Categories: Culture, Ninos Aho - Life, Poetry, Society, Youth