What will we leave behind for our children? An Earth past its Live-By-Date? - Prose of Ramadhan Part 51

You don’t have to make the world better. Just don’t spoil it!

(Ramadhan Verses 28)

A friend said and I wrote,

“It is my hope to leave

This world a better place

Then I found it to be

For my children.”

Another friend read and commented,

“But my dear fellow,

Have you not found the world

Exceedingly better now

Because of your children?”

I replied, “Hmm. You are right, actually.”

“So you see,” He continued,

“It is really not about making

The world a better place,

But to not spoil it

For our children.”

I say, old chum. Please don't insult us by suggesting
we have common ancestors. Unlike YOU, we never
inherited a predisposition of destroying
the earth. Now give me the banana 
you promised.

The world is already perfect, sunshine. The celestial beings in the celestial environment - the countless stars and moons, comets and asteroids, they all whirl in perfect motion – dancing the dance of the heavens to a perfect harmony written by God, the All-Knowing Composer of the Most Perfect Harmonies. It is therefore fortunate that mankind do not have the physical power to affect the movement of the stars (The stars should count their lucky stars!). Alas, that this earthly environment is within our grasp to use (which is good) and abuse (which is bad). It is too bad for earth and perhaps the moon (one day?) to have mankind as their viceregent. Thus, the perfection of God reflected in the natural world become spoilt and tainted by man’s greed and vanity. We can see it all around us. We can taste it in the air and in the water we drink, and in the enormous mounds of hormonally imbalanced chicken we consume every day.

So one day, shall our little Mikhail, Anis, Lisa, Penny, Malini, Sarah, Mary ,Emina and Joe question us? – “Mummy, Daddy… you found this world a paradise on earth. Why did you spoil it for me?”

Zainal Abidin... 21 years ago.

In 1990, the radio airwaves and television screens in Malaysia were inundated by a song entitled ‘Hijau’, which means Green.‘Hijau’ was written by Mukhlis Nor, sung by Zainal Abidin under the R.A.P label (Roslan Aziz Production). When it was released that year, the song quickly became the environmental anthem for all Malaysians, and still is I reckon. Zainal, that dear old luvvie sang a dire warning… and a call for us to reflect and reconsider. Where will our corruption and consumerism lead us? What shall we leave our children one day? An earth past its live-by-date?

Hijau – Green (composition and lyrics by Mukhlis Nor)
Bumi yang tiada rimba – The earth without her forest
Seumpama hamba – is like a slave
Dia dicemar manusia – ravished by mankind
Yang jahil ketawa – who laughs in arrogance and ignorance

Bumi yang tiada udara – The earth without the air
Bagai tiada nyawa – is lifeless,
Pasti hilang suatu hari – to surely disappear one day
Tanpa disedari – without anyone noticing.

Bumi tanpa lautan – The earth without the sea
Akan kehausan – Will thirst
Pasti lambat laun hilang – (and) surely sooner or later it (too) will disappear,
Duniaku yang malang – Oh my unfortunate world…

Dewasa ini kita saling merayakan – In recent times, we often celebrate
Kejayaan yang akhirnya membinasakan – Success which ultimately destroys,
Apalah gunanya kematangan fikiran – What is the use of a matured mind
Bila di jiwa kita masih lagi muda – When in our soul, we are still young (immature)
Dan mentah – And childish (ignorant),
Ku lihat hijau – I see ‘Green’

Bumiku yang kian pudar – My earth is slowly blurring
Siapa yang melihat – Who will see (?)
Di kala kita tersedar – And when we finally notice
Mungkinkah terlewat – It may already be too late.

Korupsi,opresi,obsesi diri – Corruption, oppression, self-obsession,
Polusi,depressi,di bumi,kini – Pollution, depression on this earth now.

Ohanok-anok – Oh little children
tokleh meghaso mandi laok – will not feel (the pleasure) of bathing in the sea
Besaing,maing ghama-ghama – While playing together,
Ale lo ni tuo umurnyo bejuto – This world, its age is millions
Kito usoho – We (must) strive
Jauhke dari malapetako – to avoid catastrophe
Ozon lo ni koho nipih nak nak aghi – The ozone is now getting thinner every day
Keno make asak – we have to eat smog / smoke,
Hok biso wei,pasa maknusio – (destruction) because of mankind
Seghemo bendo-bendo di dunio – all things in this world
Tokleh tehe – will not stand (last)
Sapa bilo-bilo – forever.

God bless your Friday, sunshine. This day, like any other day of the week, like this world we live in, is perfect. Let’s try not to spoil it (any more).

wa min Allah at-taufiq.