Talking Turkeys

On Christmas Eve, when all are cooking and / or baking, I thought about a poem by one of my favourite English authors, reggae poet Benjamin Zephaniah, but this time I'm also including a brilliant translation by Joana Styliano Costa sent by Fitch O'Connell (British Council, Porto) some time ago.

Talking Turkeys
from "Talking Turkeys"

Be nice to yu turkeys dis christmas
Cos' turkeys just wanna hav fun
Turkeys are cool, turkeys are wicked
An every turkey has a Mum.
Be nice to yu turkeys dis christmas,
Don't eat it, keep it alive,
It could be yu mate, an not on your plate
Say, Yo! Turkey I'm on your side.
I got lots of friends who are turkeys
An all of dem fear christmas time,

Dey wanna enjoy it, dey say humans

destroyed it

An humans are out of dere mind,

Yeah, I got lots of friends who are turkeys

Dey all hav a right to a life,

Not to be caged up an genetically made up

By any farmer an his wife.

Now the rap-Portuguese version:

Bora ser simpático c'os perus este Natal
Porque a cena dos perus é só desbundar
Os perus são fixes, os perus são demais
E todos eles têm uma Mãe com quem 'tar.
Bora ser simpático c'os perus este Natal
Não os comas, deix'ó peru vivo,
Podias ser tu, pá, em vez de ser pr'a ti
E digam Yo! Peru tou contigo.
Tenho montes d'amigos perus
E todos temem no Natal,
Querem curti-lo mas dizem qu'os humanos
não deixam
E os humanos 'tão passados da cabeça,
É isso mesmo, tenho montes d'amigos perus
E todos têm direito a viver,
Não enjaulados ou geneticamente alterados
Por um qualquer lavrador e a sua mulher.

Do you like this kind of writing? Then have a look at, for example...
http://www.benjaminzephaniah.com/
www.benjaminzephaniah.com/content/biography.php
www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?alpha=Z
http://www.nme.com/artists/benjamin-zephaniah

Again, a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS