100 Refutations | Belize | English | Poetry
July, 2018Nature has blessed thee with wealth untold,
O’er mountains and valleys where prairies roll;
Our fathers, the Baymen, valiant and bold
Drove back the invader; this heritage hold
From proud Rio Hondo to old Sarstoon,
Through coral isle, over blue lagoon;
Keep watch with the angels, the stars and moon;
For freedom comes tomorrow’s noon.
Samuel Alfred Haynes (1899-1971) was an African-Caribbean soldier, activist, and poet who helped lead the 1919 riot by Belizean World War I veterans protesting the racial discrimination they faced at home. He wrote the lyrics of a song called “Land of the Gods” that later became Belize’s national anthem, "Land of the Free."
This is not a translation, but rather an excerpt from an English-language song.
Copyright: Fair use.