did any of you have to read The Dead Crow by A Samad Said for the literature component in Form 1?

i’ve just found the original Bahasa Melayu version. it’s a wonderfully nuanced poem. see for yourself what the differences are between the BM and English versions.

makes you wonder why they told us in our syllabus that the themes of the poem are worsening pollution in the country, and that the politicians of our country are the ones who should plan how we may live our lives with dignity “now and always”.

GAGAK PARIT
Dilihatnya gagak yang lara
kini kejang di parit
antara pejabat pos dan pangsapuri.
Disaksinya cungapan sorang
pesara, sawan seorang bayi
di klinik sesak sepagi,
semakin kurang dimengerti
inti kemakmuran jasmani.

Kerana di sini hanya kawasan
bersih bagi kehidupan cicitnya,
dituntutnya usah
dungu mencemari rimba
yang tak akan dapat lagi
subur menyegari buminya
tanpa sedia bermaruah,
beratus tahun, merancangnya.

THE DEAD CROW
He saw a dead crow
in a drain
near the post office.
He saw an old man
gasping for air
and a baby barely able to breathe
in a crowded morning clinic.

This land is so rich.
Why should we suffer like this?

I want clean air
for my grandchildren.
I want the damned fools
to leave the forest alone.
I want the trees to grow,
the rivers run free,
and the earth covered with grass.
Let the politicians plan how we may live with dignity,
now and always.