Wadia Samadi
Hello! Do you hear me?
My colors are fading, my people are dying.
I am crying for peace;
I want the war to cease.
My children are begging on the streets, suffering in the burning heat.
They are the hope of the future– a future I can’t give;
The war has torn me apart, I can’t ever forgive.
Hello! Do you hear me?
My women are stoned and burned on the streets.
They are killed in the name of “honor”; leave justice to the one above
Is He watching me from the skies?
Is there anyone hearing my cries?
My men are beheaded, as if they don’t have a soul.
Young and old are marching, asking why this violence?
We see them in pain, we see them suffering; yet there is silence.
Hello! Do you hear me?
I am the land of beauty, embossed in magnificent mountains.
My hills are glorious; my green lands are vivid;
The world speaks of my hunger, poverty, war; I’m livid.
Hello! Do you hear me?
Give me the chance to bloom; give me the chance to shine.
I believe in my youth; oh! They are full of vigor;
Their devotion, their passion I need. It is their power I must savor.
My hospitality is unmatched. My flavorful food, my colorful clothes are my mark.
I will keep my wings open, my music loud; no matter how much you keep me in the dark.
Hello! Do you hear me?
I am Afghanistan.
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Read this piece in Persian here.