Category Archives: tdc4451

Endangered Poem

by Andrew Johnson

“Nature’s Embrace” (Hawaiian Language)

E ka nahele malu ‘ā’ī, (O’ gentle forest embrace,)

Kuahiwi kaulana mai kahiko. (Ancient mountains draped in green.)

Nā pua’a onaoni lei kapu, (Jeweled flowers adorning sacred bowers,)

‘Ike ‘ia i nā ‘īlio hone malu. (Witnessed by calm, meandering streams.)

E ka makani Kāhili mai’ele’ele, (The twilight Kāhili breezes caressing,)

Nā lālā ‘ōlena me ka ‘ilinalā. (Swaying fronds of ‘ōlena and ‘ilinalā.)

Loko’ino na ‘amakihi leo ke, (The merry ‘amakihi chorus rejoices,)

Aloha i nā hō’ailona makahiki hou.  (Celebrating nature’s rebirth anew.)

Ua hana ‘ia kākou i ka lepo ‘āina, (We are crafted from this earth’s soil,)

A i ho’okō hou ‘ia i ka hā’ilio honua. (Imbued again with nature’s vital breath.)

E mālama ‘oe i ka’u honua malu, (Cherish, o’ cherish this verdant realm,)

Ka pulehulehu kahikikū ho’ohiwahiwa. (The timeless, priceless, natural jewel.)

Endangered Language Poetry

For today’s daily create I am showing an endangered language poem. The poem I have chosen is Lumic Lament. I chose this poem because it is it really goes into depth about the resilience of endangered languages and the efforts to preserve them against the passage of time. Hope you enjoy!

Lumic Lament

In the whispers of the ancient trees, Where shadows dance in silent breeze, Lumic tongues once sang with glee, Now fade into eternity.

Upon the hills, where echoes weep, And memories in darkness sleep, Our words, like petals, fall and wilt, As time’s cruel hand our voices stilt.

With each passing day, a verse is lost, A treasure buried ‘neath frost, Our heritage, a fragile flame, Flickers faint, forgotten name.

Yet in the heart of the night, When stars ignite their guiding light, We raise our voices, soft and low, To reclaim the words we used to know.

For though the world may turn away, And silence veils the light of day, In the depths of our souls, the language thrives, A beacon of hope, where memory survives.

So let us weave our stories bold, In Lumic tales, both young and old, And with each word, let defiance rise, Against the fate that silence tries.

For in our language, we find our truth, Our bond to ancestors, ageless youth, And though the path ahead may seem unclear, Our voices echo, strong and near.

In the whispers of the ancient trees, Our Lumic song shall forever seize, A testament to resilience, strong and true, In the heart of every word we renew.