Sacred Hope [Poems of Agostinho Neto]

128 Pages·1974·1.83 MB·English

by  Agostinho Neto

sacred hope
agaatinha neta
�
Tarnlsaetdb yM argHao lness
Witah F orerwdob yB asilD aivsdon
TaznaanP iubilshiHnogu se
Daers S alaam
1974
TanzaPnuiblaih isnHgo use
P.O.B ox2 138
Dare sS alaam
Tanzania
© AgostinhNoe t1o9 47
PrintbeydT anzanLiiat hLot d,
P.OB.o x2 00Ar ushTaa nzania.
poems
fawreella tt hhe ouorfp airtng 1
departfourrfo er celdba our 2
sartduyai nt ehm uceques 3
tehb usphah t 10
cruelty 11
arfictarna in 11
thmea kretwoman 12
olbdl cakm an 14.
midgnhiatt t hset all 15
beyopnodre yt 16
nigth 17
wesrnt ceilvsiiation 18
shadows 19
as uccessoifo ns owhsa d 21
sypmhony 23
corncattw orkers 23
firaen rdh ythm 24
confeindce 25
apsiriaotn 26
dona'stmk e f osrm isl e 28
gretieng 29
kixniaxi 31
awakenngci onsciousness ·. 32
a birdtayh 32
pause 34
v
.iferdnm ussunda 34
thpea hto fth es tars 36
reconquest 38
lanfdeslt 40
beledinagn gde rmniaitng 41
ont ehs knio ft hder um 43
ferbuary 45
bamako 46
suclpthuarnadls 48
poem 49
tehg reeno ft ehp aml treeosfm yy ohu t 54
ab ouquoefrt oe ssf oyro u 59
twoy eaarwsa y 62
ine xhuastihoetn hu sc almoudr e 62
priosnn ights 65
herienp roins 67
thete aorfs caaf ri 68
tehh ositionfgt hflea g 70
cerate 72
haste 73
struggle 75
grefeeinl ds 76
wem usrte turn 77
exlie 78
witehq uvaoli ce 79
vi
FOREWORD
Thep oente ednsoi ntrodausca t miaonnf, o r
hinsa miehs o noeudur pa nd downp rtohger essive
world,t haoen udt loifnh eisls i ufnelt t ihitsi me
are giveinnl ahtpeearrge e Bsu.tt hep oeits
honroeuads maa no fa cti:to hnai ths o w twho­e
rlkdn owAsg otsinNheot ot,h per ogrewsosrilvde
asw elalst hoet heHrei. s l ovoerdh ei sf eared
ast hsep okeasnom fa p eopflieg httoib nefg r ee.
Hei sf oolwledo ro pposaesdt h'ela deeorf a
stgrgulfeo trh e futsutrreu,gt ghalaa etl l men
musfti gihntt h edifirf erteinsmta e ndpa lceasn,d
alwlo metno os,h akoifntfgh pea sttr,af onmrsing
thper esent.
Thep oeitsa ltlh etsheni gsa,n dw itah p.ur ity
ofa ima ndc ouratgheaa tr ei nsepafrraobml e
the tmhaanht ew asa ntdh mea nh eh as become.
Buth ei sa lsao p oeti,nu ecltaab lpyo eti,n ­
escpaabalp yo eatn; dit i'nsh ipso etarsiy ,nt he
poetroyt hoseof rf h iksi ntdh,ay to u mcaoym e
upotnh kee ytsoa ltlh ree st.
Whafto rmasn df ashisouncash m an?W here
int heb lanwka lalnsd b arsr ieoorfp pression,
ofc onfusainodn corraurpett hieos na,nv gi
gatoefsu ndersntdagi anned nlgaermetnhtr ough
whicthho en eg oeosu ta ndb ecomtehsme a ny,
andt hsem a·lfiln idtss geerlafta ,n dt hseo litude
ipse opledh uwamniit?thA y ndw hetnh ogsaet es
arfeo unwdh,e raert eh ep owetrhsa t tchoarwn
them wsiudffei,c iewnitdlety,od rwa himo ut
andw elcohmiemb eyo?n Tdh seep oemhsa ve
vii
muctho t elalnd,m uctho t ell abaonwusetr st he
tot hoqsuees otnis.
Thetye olfla manb orn withina ntdh e walls
barroifoe prpsr oensa sniwdh oa fterwgarrodwsn,
tom ahnoodw,a so fnt eshuatw ayi nb itter
prisfoonrrse sfiuntgoa cctet phpeo weorft h ose
walalnsdf odre fnygit hewmi tah p oweorfh is
owna, powetrh etyr iteodc onatiann dc rush
bucto uld Thneosyth .o twh atth imsa n'psow er
wasi nt hwee ldionfhg i smelifn to thoef truth
hisp eophloew,e vhearr sahn de vent errible,
sot hahti vsi sifoonu ntdh eg ateosfu nder­
stnadinagn de nlgaeremnta,n dp assteurdim ­
phantthlryo tuhgehem v,e wrhie onp preswsaiso n
ati twso rsTth.e ay ret hefroerteh ep oesm of
a prooufndh umainsma,n ds peawki tha n
i.mextniguishlaobvoleflef i e.
Souu md ieam n oietsec ura
Souu mae xpraoeds assa uda.de. .
Ia ma d aiyna d arnki ght
Ia m eaxnp resosfyei aoirngnn . ..
Butt hpeo ektn owtsh ahtei sm oret han that:
hes ees uandnedr nsdtsaa,n ds or efletchtes ,
traivlad daenfiaonfhc ieps e optlhee,ni ere adn d
theciorn ditthieotinrr,i aanldds e teiranmtioInn.
anotphoeerm a,ga iann e arolnye h,es peaokfs
thes hadoowfsm ent hactr oshsi msi dn,t he
shadoowfst hosweh oh avseu ffetrheepd a st
andof t hose othweilrclsh awnlhghoepe r esent:
viii
S¥ aoo sh omens
quceh egaram
e saeo a ncharam
eo sa ngtuisados
qusee u tlrapasnsaaV riadma
es ep erdenraca omn frou s;
·
eo sq uees aotv indo
titutbsee an
pareas tmeu dno
desconhdeocsqi udjeoa c hgearam
Passpaommr i m
ee us igoa-torsa dveem si .m. .
Theayr teh mee n
whoa rrived
andd indo fti neda coht her
antdh aen gueids h
whom oveudp i nL ife
anwde rleo sitn ctohnefi uo;sn
andt hose awrcheoo m ing
hesistantly
througwho rtlhdi s
unnkowbny thaolesared y arrived
Thepya stsh romueg h
and fIo llow them t.h.ro.u gh myself
Thep oemcso lclteehde rbeeg ini n1 945,
thoumgohs tw erwer ittienn t1h9e5 0asn d
maniyn p risdouinrn 1g9 60a,n d theyt hsihso w
quatylf irotmh fei rtshti,s vihsisimeoalnsf n ootf
alonbeu tp eoplweidt h ohwinhs u maitnya,s
ix
havinnogp erso'ncaalr oeuetrs'ti hdmeee aning
ofh ipse opllei'fases e, n joynionw go rwthhile
prlievigsea vteh at of isnah anreicnegys sar
strugfgolrte h ef urteus,h akionffg t he past,
tranmsifnotgrh ep reseIntit s.a bovea lwlh at
givtehse se poemdsi gitntayhn edji ory t,h eir
dsitnictivteo noefk nowitnhgat th dea yf owlsl o
nihgt,t heir severet haoitps tn iemviesrm
senmteintoarrl o man:t ic
Aqunioc arcere
ar aicvoan tniodp ae ito
espepraoc ientemente
oa cumualrd ansu vens
aos opdraaH sitroia
Nignuem
imperdaa i ucvha
Herei spr ison
rage contmayi nberde aistn
Ip atiewnatilty
fort hcel outdogs a ther
blowbnyt hwei nodfH sitory
Noo ne
can sttohrpe a in
Soi ti st hatth epsoee mwsh,i cht haefr reu it
ofm andyi cfuftlyi earess,c aepnet ifrreoltmyh e
fettoefra ps e rsobniatlt eornrse osrsr oawn,g er
off ruasttiraonndc, eelbratthese t oorfy pae ople
thaitst a rgibcu ta lstoh ceo nqsutoe ft ragedy.
Nothiinn g tsheeemmt som em ormeo vitnhga n
theiirs tiveninsts ioofwn h ermee nr eaclolmye
froamn dw hermee n craena lgloyh,o wever
x