When my hope like a tree was clipped,

Knocked down, pulled up 

And about to snap;

As a glimmer of light dimmed 

And the eye of day shuttered;

 I spread and wrapped myself in sackcloth,

Unaware New Year was here,

Unaware of Adäy my flower;

I sat in the belly of a dense night

Intent to unfocus my thoughts,

To rebuke a weepy heart

And pin my hope on despair.

POET: Debebe Seifu, 1971 TRANSLATOR: Mitiku Adisu, ©2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Note: Ethiopian New Year is in September (11th) and Adäy flowers ( Bidens macroptera ) returned during this time.

የተስፋዬ ዛፉ

የተስፋዬ ዛፉ

ሲከረከም ቅርንጫፉ፣

ሥሩ ሲነቃቀል

ሊበጠስ ሲፈነገል፤

ጭላንጭል ስትዳፈን ብርሃን ዐይኑ ሲከደን፣

አንጥፌ ደርቤ ማቄን ዘንግቻት እንቁጣጣሽን

ዐደይ አበባ ዐደዬን፤

በድቅድቁ ተቀመጥኩኝ

ላለማሰብ እያሰብኩኝ፤

የልቤን ልበ-ባሻነት ገሠፅኩኝ

ተስፋ መቁረጥን ተስፋ አረኩኝ።

1963 ዓ.ም. ለራስ የተጻፈ ደብዳቤ፣ ገጽ 19

ደበበ ሰይፉ፣ ሜጋ አሳታሚ ድርጅት፣ 1992 ዓ.