“WE LOVE (THE) GAMBIA”
“IT DOESN’T TAKE GREAT PEOPLE TO DO GREAT THINGS--- JUST
UNSELFISH ONES.”
GAMBIANS!!! GAMBIANS!!! GAMBIANS!!!
We’ve both got responsibilities…
To the world. To (The) Gambia.
But there’s another responsibility---to what we “FEEL”
Right or Wrong.
To speak up for the Voiceless… who had been stripped of their civil rights.
This is the time for us to stand up and defend the true democracy that we believe in where each man is created equal in the eyes of the law.
“Like the German pastor / theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) in the years before World War II [who resisted the Nazi regime and was executed for treason]; we must also (always);
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
For the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
Defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Prison offers “good” prisoners one precious commodity: Time to think and reflect. The prison was a school: the last university in the world---at least to us [Sana-Bairo SABALLY & Sheikh Sadibou Sheriffo HYDARA].
We were able to learn and teach ourselves among lot of things; and we came up with this “Philanthropic / Patriotic Anthem” [1995]:
“WE LOVE (THE) GAMBIA”
(The) Gambia! Our Mother country of Good People and Blessing.
You’re so full of the milk of human kindness!
Wherever we went We found your sons and daughters very dedicated,
Affable and compassionate.
You have an infectious ebullience that inspires all who visited and lived with you.
Oh, (The) Gambia! We’re thinking of you very much,
And hoping you know it’s true
The love that’s in our heart
Will always be for you--- (The) Beautiful Gambia!
Of all the gifts on earth that there could ever be…
The one We cherish most of all is the love We have for (The) Gambia
And (The) Gambians.
WE LOVE (THE) MOTHER GAMBIA!
That’s never changed, nor never will.
It’s deep in us, like something we were born with,
That We can’t cut out no more than We can’t cut out our own hearts.
WE LOVE (THE) GAMBIA!
That can’t be denied, just so much as all other things.
(The) Gambia! (The) Beautiful Gambia! (The) Gambia is all to us sky and air
and earth and water, all that life is.
There’s no denying that.
(The) Gambia! (The) Gambia! The most Beautiful! The most Blessed Country!
Who does not love You- (The) Gambia!
Our hearts are full of love for you-our Beautiful Mother Gambia!
(The) Gambia! You are dearer to us than any place in the world.
And We love (The) Gambia of ours so much that We can’t think of living elsewhere
Than in (the) Gambia.
We were born here- (The) Gambia! We pray to die here-(The) Gambia!
And be buried here-(The) Gambia!
WE LOVE (THE) GAMBIA!
But separation from (The) Gambia We cannot endure.
We don’t mind any trouble We may go through,
We don’t give a damn if the whole world turns against us because “We love (The) Gambia!”
We won’t blink if We’re being persecuted because of the love We have for (The) Gambia.
We’re in love with (The) Gambia-head over heels!
A day without thinking about (The) Gambia is incomplete in our lives.
WE LOVE (THE) GAMBIA!
Oh, (The) Gambia!
We now stand by you, whatever you ask us to do…
We will not behave like the followers of Prophet Mosses [Musa] who said,
“Go you and your God and fight the enemy, we remain here behind.”
If We must fight, We will and We will fight to the right of (The) Gambia, to the left of (The) Gambia, in front of (The) Gambia, and behind (The) Gambia.
True, [if] the enemy wants to get at you…
But We assure you that he will not do so, without first stepping over our dead bodies.
(The) Mother Gambia, [if] you invite us to fight,
We are ever prepared to do more.
We vow, We will not surrender in any way We promise.
We will not surrender. We will not retreat.
NO RETREAT! NO SURRENDER!
Not far from here is the sea,
If you command us to jump into it, We will hesitate not.
(The) Gambia! (The) Gambia! (The) Gambia!
WE LOVE (THE) GAMBIA!
GOD BLESS YOU (THE) MOTHER GAMBIA!
By:
Captains: Sana-Bairo Sabally& Sadibou Hydara
(Mile II Prisons, THE GAMBIA, West AfricaFriday 18th February 1995 Day)