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The Cross

from DIACOUTE
by
Felix Morisseau-Leroy

 

Translated by Suze Baron
  11/1989

 

 

 

Via Crucis V station, mosaïque par Cesco. Photo F.Palli
Crocifissione V

 
Lè yo soti, yo kontre yon nonm peyi Sirèn ki te rele Simon. Yo fòse msye pote kwa Jezi a.

And as they came
out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
Lorsqu'ils sortirent, ils rencontrèrent un homme de Cyrène, appelé Simon, et ils le forcèrent à porter la croix de Jésus. - Matthew, 27, 32.

This is how it happened
Jesus Christ had to die
nothing you could do
the man had to die
Pilate objected  said no
but Caiaphas pleaded so
the man was convicted

For two days
Jesus ate nothing
His body was weak
couldn't climb Mount Olive
with a wooden cross
He fell  got up

With sadness  Pilate watched
Roman soldiers watched
Just then  Simon the Cyrene
a big black man
a black man as big
as Paul Robeson
came walking by
He watched
He watched good

Pilate sensed
what the black man felt
he cued his soldiers
These grabbed Simon
beat him  told him
to take  to carry the cross

With one hand
Simon took the cross
he ran with it
sang
                        danced
                   danced
                            sang
left the crowd behind

ran up a hill
                   came back  danced
                                     sang
twirled the cross above his head
threw it up in the air
caught it  twirled it under his leg
then back in the air
the cross twirled itself
the crowd yelled: MIRACLE
the cross came down
Simon caught it  danced with it
till he could dance no more
then he gave it back to Jesus

From that time on
whenever a load is heavy
          a job messy
whites call on blacks

                           We come
                                    dance
                                            sing
                            beat drums
                                        blow bamboos
                            carry crosses
                                           shotguns
                            machine guns
                                          crime
                                                sins
                            help the white man
                            help
                                 every
                                        one.
 

Min gen ça té passé
Jésus-Christ té gan pou’l mouri
Tout ça ous ta fait
C’é pou’l ta mouri
Pilate té beau di: non
Caiphe-là pesisté’l si tellement
Yo condamné n-homme-là

Li pas t’manger dépi dé jou
Faiblesse fine emparer’l
Pou’l monter morne Olivier-a
Ac dé branches bois sou dos’l
L’tombé l’levé

 
Pilat t’ap gader ça ac lapeine
Toute soldat romains là yo là ap’ gader.
C’é lô-a oun neg vine passer
Simon Cirénéen
Oun gros neg
Cou Paul Robeson
Li ga’dé ça cou conne ga’der

 

Pilate senti ça qui nan coè neg-ça-a.
Li fait soldats a yo oun signe
Yo toute tomber sou Simon
Yo batte li bien batte
Et pi yo di’l: pren croix a ous po’tez’l
Simon pren croix-a ac oun main

Li pren’l nan main blanc-a
Li couri ac li
Li tomber chanter
Li tomber danser
Li danser  li chanter
Li couri monter pi haut
Li quittér toute moune derriè
Li retounin, li danser li chanter
Li fait croix-a virer sou tête li
Li voyé croix en l‘ai
Li attrape crois-a
Li passer’l nan jamme-li
Li voyé'l en l’ai
Croix rété danser en l’ai pou cô’l
Toute moune rélé mirac
Croix descenne encô
Simon pren’l
Li danser compte-li
Anvant l’rinmette Jésus’l

 
 

Dépi lô cou oun croix trop raide
Cou oun chage tro lou pou’ blan yo
Yo rélé neg vine po’ter’l.
Et pi nous dansé, nous chanté
Batte tambou, joué vaccine
Dos’n l’age.
Nou pren croix, pren fisil
Prenn cannon rider blanc po’ter
Pren crime, pren péché
Ridé toute moune poté.

Translated by Suze Baron  11/89

Crocifissione

Crocifissione, Cimalmotto, Suisse. Photo F.Palli.

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