A Vava Inou va

I beseech you, father Inouva, open the door
O daughter Ghriba, rattle your bracelets
I dread the forest monster, father Inouva
O daughter Grhiba, I fear him as well

The old man coiled in his robe
By the road warms himself
His son worried over every meal
Thinks ahead to the next mornings
The new bride behind her weaving
Constantly moving the shuttles
The children around the old woman
Learn patiently of old ways 

I beseech you, father Inouva, open the door
O daughter Ghriba, rattle your bracelets
I dread the forest monster, father Inouva
O daughter Grhiba, I fear him as well

The snow is now against the door
The old meal boils in the pot
Already the town dreams of spring
The moon and stars remain hidden
The heavy oak replaces the drying racks
The family gathered
Listened to the story

I beseech you, father Inouva, open the door
O daughter Ghriba, rattle your bracelets
I dread the forest monster, father Inouva
O daughter Grhiba, I fear him as well

—Translated by Joseph Krause

IDIR

Pourquoi cette pluie? Why This Rain? 

So much rain now fallen on our brows,
Over our fields and our roofs
A flooding now, the storm in our season
Where do we find some reason?
Is it to drown our betrayals?
Or wash over our wounds?
Is it for harvests, more fertile furrows?
Is it to destroy them all?

Why this rain, I ask, why?
Is it a message, a howl from the sky?
My country, I am unclothed and cold,
Have you lost the rays of your sun?
Is it a godsend, is it to punish?
I am unclothed, my country, and cold,
Are we now to celebrate or to shun?

I have searched in the book that knows
In the furrows of its lines
I read there “Search for answers to your question,
Search for the linking point.”
A beggar woman on my path
Why are you here in the street?
My sons and husband left one morning,
None of them has returned.

Why this rain, why?
This water, these clouds that surprise us
She says: this rain you see
Is crying for the eyes of men
It is to give tears beyond words
That have dried long ago
Men do not quickly forget swords
When they no longer have tears
The rains flow and flow on our brows 

—Translated by Joseph Krause

IDIR – TO MY FATHER

Citizen of the world
You traveled
Far from Algeria
Through light and darkness
You protected our freedom 

To my father
I have so many things to say
To my father
A free man
Far from his native land
To my father
Who without reading or writing
Was able to forge from his life
My future

Because of you
My heritage survives
It is for you, citizen
That I remain standing
It is for you
That I keep my feelings to myself
With love
For my faith
And my child

Faced with your destiny
Don’t ever forget
That respect
Will always be
The root of our family
You are my daughter

To my father
I have so many things to say
To my father
A free man
Far from his native land
To my father
Who without reading or writing
Was able to forge from his life
My future

Don’t you know there are things between a father and daughter
That aren’t discussed at our house,
But one thing is sure: you have always told me
To respect others and work very hard to keep going further,
To keep going higher, and you have made me
A citizen of the world.  

Since Zighem wants to be a free man
You will carry this name as one carries destiny
One that is partially mine
Even if I don’t tell you so
I am in your hands, like the holy water of a country
Citizen of this world
Your life will be my life

To my father
I have so many things to say
To my father
A free man
Far from his native land
To my father
Who without reading or writing
Was able to forge from his life
My future
(x2)

—Translated by Kayla García

IDIR – I COME FROM A PLACE WHERE I AM LOVED

I come from a place where I am loved
I come from islands, or caves, or hallways
I come from sand dunes or ghettos
(x2)

Welcome to this planet where Man governs alone
Where a river doesn’t always provide water to the same people
Rare are those who are criticized for good looks
But you make us fear that our daughters might become French-African
I come from where everything is done with a light heart
In spite of being deceived about present or past wars we witnessed
I want to receive the benefits of good relations
Eventually this whole planet will become my dwelling place

I come from a place where I am loved
I come from islands, or caves, or hallways
I come from sand dunes or ghettos
(x2)

I come from where the rough kids live
From the huge, filthy housing projects where we make ploughshares to quash our problems
I come from a place where water is negotiated
Where you have to save yourself or die alone on the cement
I am from Lagos, too
From Panama to Lome, I am from a place where I am loved
Salaam, Shalom, Azul,[1] or Amen are all the same to me
I come from where Black-White-Brown are treated equally
Where hearts beat in unison and everybody bleeds

I come from a place where I am loved
I come from islands, or caves, or hallways
I come from sand dunes or ghettos
(x2)

No homeland, no colors
I come from where dinner is served at any time
Where you are welcomed with open arms
I come from where there are no doors, no barriers or posts
Where no matter the hour
Your arrival is not a bother
I come from a place where if you have no songs, you still have your good humor
I come from a place where your fortune is measured by the friends you have.

—Translated by Kayla García

IDIR – CHOCOLATE MEDALS

We were deep into Africa
Jealously guarding our colors, our colors
Standing tall beneath a magnificent sun
A victorious shout rang out:
We are the Africans!!!!

We are the Africans who arrive from afar
Coming from our country to save the homeland
We have left everything: parents, family, home
And we carry in our hearts an irrepressible flame
Because we want to raise high and proud
The beautiful flag of all of France
And if anyone comes to tarnish it
We will be here to die at its feet

To our loves
For our country, for our homeland, to die far away
We are the Africans!!!!
(woo, woo, woo)
Forward! Forward! Forward!!!

A true warrior doesn’t rest until he dies but I need a break
I have to rest my back because my burden is too heavy
And I hear the constant thuds night and day
My enemy is upon me but I have love on my side
I’m no longer afraid of death because my cause is just
And I wish for new horizons for my children
Our dreams are in prison, the West is the jailer
But I have had a vision, I have seen the path
From slave to canon fodder, to end up colonized
And our own children have become demonized
Thank you for the medals,
Your chocolate medals melted long ago on our ceremonial clothes

Tired of beautiful phrases and your empty slogans
Our children of today
Have broken free
From days squinting into the rifle sight
The bayonet fixed to the firearm
To pierce injustice
And hypocrisy
Times change, fortunately
And minds do too
It’s up to us to build [something]
It’s a question of survival
For I believe as much as possible
That it is never too late
It is not about asking forgiveness
It’s about observing
It’s no longer about chance
My children are not naïve
They need no other reason
For they are natives here
But beneath the thin layer of hatred, a fabric of love is hidden
Our youth is a seed we water here
EVERY DAY

—Translated by Kayla García

Izumal (Idir)

They are many
Persecuted, imprisoned
They are many
Persecuted, imprisoned
In every land
Their voices are silenced
Because they speak the truth
In every land
Their voices are silenced
Because they speak the truth
They are many
Waiting, desperate
Desperate, the blows strike the bones
Times are tough
They are the victims
Times are tough
They have seen the glimmer of hope darken
The fire is... their only sustenance
Crying proves futile
The fire is... their only sustenance
Crying proves futile
They are many
We hear you
We heard when they chained you
Tears flowed like a torrent
Rifles unearthed
No more words
The smell of blood
Resentment, bullets, rolling
No more words
The smell of blood
Resentment, bullets, rolling
They are many
Persecuted, imprisoned
They are many
Persecuted, imprisoned
In every land
Their voices are silenced
Because they speak the truth
In every land
Their voices are silenced
Because they speak the truth.

—Translated by Nabil Boudraa

Footnotes:

[1] Berber word for “hello.”