Neo-Maya, Neo-Malaya (dedicated to all Malaysians)

By Azly Rahman

And thus sprach Zarathustra,

                   prophet of long ago who spoke of good and evil

of this world as battleground

of the sacred and the profane

of the triumph of Man

of the triumph of Superman

 

Ahh, what worth is there

     in believing in religion, in philosophy, in the arts

                                      when these are silenced by the State

                      unto which the necessary evil reigns

when the mantra of civilization and progress hath made Man insane

 

 

Bring down the walls

      tear down the bricks,

      one by one, and all

 

Peace be unto the nation

                that builds towers that touch the sky

Unto which Man shall return

               as he hath plundered by the billions

Peace be to the new Temple of the Mayas

of this country now called neo-Malaya

     of towers of power built upon the glory

             of people’ blood, sweat, tears, and fear

Glory Glory Hallelujah …

Amin amin Ya Rabbil Alam ‘in

InsyaAllah things will be fine,

   as they say

              Many prayed while the tyrants wine and dine

 

Build towers as tall as power allows it to be

So that the leaders can spit on the rakyat

                                     from up in heaven yonder

And the rakyat may happily see that as blessings

And ask for more — in a world wherein modernity means assisted dying

 

In politics and business lie the evidence

                  of the glorification of the beastiality of Man

                  couched in language of arrogant knowledge

                  that philosophy and poetics cannot triumph,

 in a world of historical complexity

wherein beasts, plunderers, and hell-raisers triumph

over philosopher-rulers and prophets of hope and deliverance.

 

Towers of power Man so desires

To enlarge the Inner Rings of Fire

         and burn the soul entire

Whilst this too shall pass

As fast as capitalism’s speed in forming caste and class

Whilst this too shall pass — hell-raisers and bloodsuckers

       will feast in merriment –

       till the state coffers run dry leaving the nation aghast

 

Ah…  progress .. progress .. progress  we must as our leaders say

Progress we say as we steal from the poor

                  and keep true patriots at bay

Let us tell the people we are one nation under god

One Malaysia indivisible and all

As we plunder — before the general election smash us

                                      Crooks and cronies and all

                                              worse than the broken pieces of Humpty Dumpty’s fall

 

O’ people down below

Excuse us while we kiss the clouds

            and embrace the limitless sky in our three-piece suits

            and our split-tongued sermons

Excuse me if I have to spit down below from the towers of power

                  and ignore your sorrows

for you are poor because you are lazy

we are wealthy because we are the chosen ones

                   our children born with silver spoons guaranteed

 

O’ chosen ones — manage this land of plenty

And in God we trust

For all is but a grand design foretold

In this land that grooms dynasties living in lust

                 graced with thrones of gold