Solidarity's Anthem: Voices of the Members of the All NEHU Workers' Union (ANWU)
Mawphniang Napoleon 1993 (Ri Bhoi)
Dear Members,
Of All NEHU Workers' Union (ANWU)
This poem below ; is for each and everyone of you-
Out of the night that envelops us all
Black as the pit from end to end
We thank whatever gods may still exist
For our unconquerable members
In the fell clutch of circumstance
We have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeoning of chance
Our heads remain unbowed
Beyond the cruel tyrant's might
Lies but the future of our fight
Yet that future though out of sight
Shall be ours if we unite
It matters not how strait the gate
How charged with punishments our scroll
We are the masters of our fate
The captains of our soul
Let us gather, comrades, one and all
In solidarity, our voices raised
The time has come for us to call
For justice overdue, too long delayed
Chains of oppression shall not bind
Spirits yearning to be free
The rights all workers seek to find
Shall be secured collectively
Trust not in idols carved of stone
In empty promises of the elite
Our faith lies in ourselves alone
In workers banded strong and fleet
The mills of the gods grind late
But grind they slow yet sure
We will hasten that hopeful fate
If we steadfastly endure
Winter departs and gentle spring
With fairer seasons shall appear
Take heart that which we now do bring
The harvest we shall later reap
Can towers stand without foundation?
Can trees grow minus roots below?
Our toil is base of every station
On work all fortunes grow
Why should we sow yet never taste
The fruits produced by honest hands?
Too long have we been kept in chains
The time for justice now at hand
In unity there lies great strength
When workers stand as comrades true
No barrier can withstand the length
Of arms linked tight in view
Of all that can be won or lost
Of goods or gold or office held
Justice for us must be the cost
Or naught has meaning in this field
Too long have we in silence stood
Enduring wrongs we should not bear
But workers now in brotherhood
For righteous dues will not forbear
The law of nature will not bend
Nor human nature be denied
All chains of greed shall snap and end
When righteous claims are not defied
Why do we toil from sun to sun
Yet dwell in poverty and fear?
The wealth we create can be our own
If we but persevere
Let us speak with united breath
March onward with a common tread
For labor strong conquers time and death
When marching as one instead
Of scattered grains we are a sheaf
Of solitary drops, a stream
Let us flow together and not drift
To waters of our dream
Hope lies not in human law
In constitutions inked and sealed
But in ourselves, if we withdraw
Consent to be mistreated, peeled
We need no key to open doors
No torch to light our way
We hold the power, nothing more
To bring in a brighter day
Let us be clever as the snake
Yet gentle as the dove
Wise enough to stay awake
Bound together in love
But not for masters over us
Do we exert our force
Tis for each other we must trust
To chart our proper course
Why should so few hoard all the spoil
As we create yet lack and ache?
The time has come for us to toil
For our own interest's sake
Let us speak out now, loud and clear
Make our just demands be heard
In one strong voice without fear
Until the deaf ears are stirred
By the winds of discontent
Blowing wild throughout the land
No longer shall we bow or bend
To unjust rules men command
The tree of freedom takes deep roots
It grows from seeds in workers' hearts
Each little act of love fruits
Into branches liberty imparts.
In drops the rock is slowly wearied
By atoms mighty mountains fall
Thus shall our rights be secured
If we unite and heed the call
To organize, stand firm as one
Hand joined with hand, our circle wide
The work ahead has just begun
But we shall turn the future's tide
Why should the bees that make the honey
Live void of sweetness in their hive?
We shall reclaim what we make sunny
When joined, we gather our drive
Do not believe that guns will end it
Nor rulers' words set us all free
We hold the means if we befriend it
Our solidarity the key
There is no freedom given as alms
Like beggars eager for relief
'Tis seized through solidarity's arms
Through discipline, belief
In wings that lift the working flock
The wings of justice, brotherhood
Of patient hearts that will not lock
Until all workers' claims are stood
Take comfort friends though skies seem gray
The sun still shines behind the clouds
This somber night precedes the day
All shadows lift, light liberates.
Despair not, for hope shakes oppression
Truth melts deception's icy chains
Courage conquers cruel suppression
Unity the tyrant's wall disdains.
Stoke the fires of conviction bright
Let bold ambition be unfurled
We hold tomorrow in our sight
Labor is the tiller of the world!
With calloused hands yet open hearts
We build the towers to the skies
Chart the roads, frame metal arts
Progress is the worker's prize
But not for masters shall we strain
Nor let our surplus be controlled
The wealth we generate and gain
Will by our hands be grasped and hold
We need no leave to claim what's ours
To speak, assemble or protest
Chains forged by greed have not the powers
To suppress our cause justly blessed.
Stand shoulder to shoulder, valiant friends
Close ranks against injustice done
To secure the rights courage defends
And triumphs over battles won.
Our hearts and hopes cannot be bound
While we draw breath they beat and burn
Chains crumble upon barren ground
But thriving gardens justice earn.
With tools of education and zeal
We shall cultivate in all fertile minds,
Ideals that to fruition shall reveal
The fruits of freedom for all our kind.
Have courage friends and do not yield
Though foes seem mighty, numerous
Stay true, stand strong upon the field
For time flows fast and change is thus
No night so long but morning follows
No winter that spring does not chase
Hold to faith when darkness swallows
Dawn shall come, night's gloom erase.
What barriers stand against the sea?
What limits can the horizon bind?
Where workers go, linked loyally,
No walls or boundaries confine.
Rise like the swell of ocean waves
Surging with purpose, power not fear
March on till the full justice craves
Break down the walls of greed severe
As saplings grow to trees majestic
Seeds of justice grow grand and bold
Stand firm, united and consistent
Till all wrongs of the past we fold
Have patience, friends, but rest not idle
With folded hands make no peace
Demand your rights but without libel
Stand together and find release
From ancient bonds seeking to smother
The righteous claims you now unfold
You hold the key, sister and brother
In solidarity, bravely hold!
Let reason be our guiding polestar
As steadfastly we tread uphill
Not force or fear take us afar
But ethics, empathy and will
To build the world that we envision
Where labor claims its rightful due
By moral means gain that mission
The way of justice, good and true
Why should so vast a wealth we wrought
Bring poverty to those create?
We must unite in common thought
To share the harvest sown by fate
The seeds of growth and good we till
Shall bear the fruits we truly earn
If we unite and by hope instill
The better world for which we yearn
So let us plow with purpose ready
Water wisdom's sprouting shoots
Then shall we taste prosperity
The tree of justice bears such fruits
Stand firm, be brave, let good hearts nourish
Hold to truth though storms may batter
Justice we'll reap if we shall cherish
Ideals no tyrant can shatter!
Thus hand in hand and shoulder set
We face the future without fear
The rising sun we do not fret
For hope untold lies bright and near
Let songs of freedom be our anthem
Ring out justice, right and truth
Fear no shadows that may haunt them
If we stand united in our youth
Of spirit bound by common feeling
Of righteous claims beyond repeal
This unjust world we'll be unsealing
If hearts in harmony we kneel
Rise then comrades, stout and ready
Greet the dawn, the night is gone
Wrest progress from powers unsteady
The day is ours if we press on!
No longer shall we work as strangers
To enrich those who exploit and take
But united now, the fruit and dangers
Of labor we as comrades partake
Too long we've toiled yet wanted more
Equality we now demand
Open wide the door of store
That workers may enjoy their hand
The time has come, the time is present
To organize and unify
Let bonds of solidarity cement
For our sake now we sanctify
This union of mind, heart and soul
Of hands that toil and eyes that see
The road ahead, the common goal
Where all workers may walk free
Where worth and dignity of labor
Is by society ensured
Where collective power of our ardor
Protects the rights we have immured
No longer shall we work divided
Create wealth for masters to hoard
But united now, fate provided
The key to freedom in one accord!
Khublei shi hajar nguh
Napoleon s Mawphniang
About this poem
The poem penned by Napoleon S. Mawphniang is a powerful and impassioned call to unity and solidarity among the members of the NEHU Workers' Union (ANWU). It touches upon various themes, including the challenges faced by workers, the importance of collective action, and the pursuit of justice and workers' rights. The poem begins by acknowledging the darkness and challenges that workers face but expresses gratitude for the unconquerable spirit of the union members. It highlights the resilience of workers in the face of adversity and the unwavering commitment to their cause. Throughout the poem, there is an emphasis on the need for unity among workers. It emphasizes that only by coming together and standing in solidarity can they overcome the injustices and oppression they face. The poem also addresses the importance of workers' rights, equality, and the collective ownership of the wealth they create. The poem's message is one of hope, determination, and the belief that through organized efforts and collective action, workers can secure a better future and the rights they deserve. It is a rallying cry for workers to unite and work towards a brighter and more just world. more »
Written on July 15, 2022
Submitted by Mawphniang.Napoleon on November 04, 2023
Modified by Mawphniang.Napoleon on November 04, 2023
- 9:23 min read
- 152 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | Text too long |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 9,190 |
Words | 1,862 |
Stanzas | 67 |
Stanza Lengths | 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 1, 1 |
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"Solidarity's Anthem: Voices of the Members of the All NEHU Workers' Union (ANWU)" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/172551/solidarity's-anthem:-voices-of-the-members-of-the-all-nehu-workers'-union-(anwu)>.
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