Activity 7: Poem recital

  • One of the activities to raise money is going to be recording our students at NGA and IESO Sierra La Mesta reciting a poem. Students in Spain will read the poem in English while students at NGA will read it in Spanish in order to practise their reading skills in the target language. This is the poem, by Brian Bilston, in English and Spanish, which is wittily written as it can be read from top to bottom and backwards, changing the entire meaning of it.

    Enjoy!

    Intro

    Porque todo depende de según cómo se mire, este poema depende de cómo se lea. De arriba abajo nos muestra una cara sombría y egoísta de la humanidad que vemos hoy en día desgraciadamente, más de la cuenta. Sin embargo, al leerlo de abajo arriba, descubrimos esa cara solidaria del ser humano, la que necesitamos día a día, para hacer de este, un mundo mejor.

    In this day and age, perspective is vital to understanding, and never is that more true than in this poem. Read from top to bottom, it depicts a dark and selfish vision of humanity; one that is, unfortunately, all too common in today's society. However, when read backwards, using only the same words we discover a sense of solidarity, kindness and kinship with one another; the very facets we need every day to make the world a better place.

    REFUGEES

    They have no need of our help
    So do not tell me
    These haggard faces could belong to you or me
    Should life have dealt a different hand
    We need to see them for who they really are
    Chancers and scroungers
    Layabouts and loungers
    With bombs up their sleeves
    Cut-throats and thieves
    They are not
    Welcome here
    We should make them
    Go back to where they came from
    They cannot
    Share our food
    Share our homes
    Share our countries
    Instead let us
    Build a wall to keep them out
    It is not okay to say
    These are people just like us
    A place should only belong to those who are born there
    Do not be so stupid to think that
    The world can be looked at another way

    REFUGIADOS

    No necesitan nuestra ayuda

    Así que no me cuentes que

    Estas caras demacradas podrían ser la tuya o la mía

    Si el destino nos hubiera mostrado otras cartas

    Tenemos que verlos como realmente son

    Oportunistas, parásitos

    Gandules y holgazanes 

    Con bombas escondidas entre sus ropajes

    Asesinos y ladrones
    No son

    Bienvenidos aquí

    Deberíamos hacerles

    Volver a donde pertenecen

    Ellos no pueden

    Compartir nuestra comida

    Compartir nuestros hogares

    Compartir nuestros países

    En vez de eso, déjanos

    Que se construya un muro para que no entren

    no está bien decir

    esta gente es como nosotros

    un lugar debería solo pertenecer a los que nacieron allí

    no seas tan estúpido como para pensar que

    Podemos mirar al mundo de otra manera