This Tibetan Girl’s Hope
Posted by: Bhuchung Tsering on: June 9, 2009
Among many things Tibetan that is on youtube is this song sung by two Tibetan women from Switzerland. They are from Zurich and seem to have won an award for this song. The lyric is touching and introspective while being simple. It dwells into the dilemma of the Tibetans today living in different societies.
I wish I could know the names of the singers and the composer of the lyrics so that I could give them their proper credit here but nothing is on youtube to indicate their background.
Following is my unofficial translation of the lyrics. Enjoy and introspect, y’all!
This Girl’s Hope
When living in foreign Switzerland
You are not a Swiss, I am told
When visiting Tibet on a pilgrimage
You are not a Tibetan child, I am told
On account of past life’s Karma
I am separated from my Tibetan brethren
When I was visiting Tibet
My mind was greatly pleased
Even though I had arrived in my homeland Tibet
The young Tibetans
Called me a foreign girl
On responding that I am a Tibetan
Their eyes merely blinked
My mind was greatly saddened
This girl’s Hope
To all of today’s youth
Please bear in your mind
Your religion and culture
Tibetans of the same flesh and bone
Please do not act like this
Please believe in me
Although we Tibetans are dispersed
The Tibetan religion and culture
Are something that we can be proud of
On responding that I am a Tibetan
Their eyes merely blinked
My mind was greatly saddened
This girl’s Hope
To all of today’s youth
Please bear in your mind
Your religion and culture
1 Response to "This Tibetan Girl’s Hope"
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- A new head of Geluk Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism
- How the Internet Came to the Tibetans
- Thoughts on the Self-immolation in Tibet
- Tibetan Americans as Asian Americans
- About
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- The Broader Tibetan Cultural World
- Bhuchung Tsering: Namgyal la, I think the term is either leeks or chives. Asparagus is altogether different. I like Kyurtsel momos although the smell stays with you fo
- namgyal: Buchung la, can you let me know the exact english word for " kurtsel" I saw asparagus and chinese leek. Which is the correct. many thanks
- Bhuchung Tsering: Thanks. I have heard of this documentary. I am told the scene of the "Tibetan monastery" is unnatural, too. It was out on our local "Red Box." Will ta
June 10, 2009 at 9:36 pm
I remember reading about this and i appreciate the fact that you have posted this information on your blog. It’s very hard for Tibetans to talk about their identity outside of being “Tibetan” because that would mean that they have also adapted another identity outside of the Tibet sphere and that would mean in some ways that change is taking its course and we are integrating which would pose the question, what is the Tibetan identity now? That would open up a can of worms- We are no different than any other species on earth, we all have to adapt to our new environments to survive, be it mentally or physically. Religion and culture- traditions and beliefs- forever changing with time. Majority of the Tibetan youth in the west who have spent their teens here are actively working for the Tibetan cause, the problem i see is that many of them are doing it on a political level and not enough with the development Too much emphasis on the politics, because it is believed that ultimately that is where the power lies.