Painting the spirits' song.

• Author: Pierre, Andre
• Position: Latitudes - Poem

Se sou yon bato, yon penti Erzuli. Kana, sou dlo. Se yon bato kana Erzuli Fredi, ki mache avek Met Agwe, Agaso, Dambala, Met Ongou, Metres La Siren, e Metres Agasen, ki siyifi, ou di:

It's a boat, a painting of Erzuli, A duck on the water. It's Erzuli Freda's duck boat, which has as passengers Master Agwe (Iwa of the sea), Agaso (guardian Iwa of old traditions of Dahomey), Dambala (Iwa who is a water serpent), Master Ogou (Iwa of war and iron), Mistress Mermaid, and Mistress Agasin, which means, as you sing:

Agasino, pitit monche ki renmen n, ou met soti Yawe, sa ou pote ba nou? Agasino, ou met soti Yawe, Agasino, ou met soti Yawe, pitit monche ki renmen n, sa ou pote bay nou? Agasino, the child of someone who loves us, you who came from Yawe, what did you bring us? Agasino, you came from Yawe, Agasino, you came from Yawe, the child of someone who love us, what did you bring us? M di Agaso Yemen, prete m pistole ou la. Agaso Yemen, prete m revolve ou la. Nou deja gason deja, nou p ap mouri san pale. Nou deja gason deja, nou p ap rete san pale. I said Agaso Yemen, lend me your pistol. Agaso Yemen, lend me your revolver. We are already men, we won't die without speaking. We are already men, we won't rest without speaking. Andre Pierre is a hounga, or Vodou priest, and a religious painter. Born in Port-au-Prince in 1916 into a rural...