Oh Niger!
Our brave Niger,
Who used to breathe
Breathing life
Into our jungle:
Into beasts
Into fishes
Into birds
Even into man.
In those days
When top trees
Served as mere ground
For the squirrel;
In those days
When top trees
Served as mere ground
For monkey
When the bare-handed hunter
Caught alive the panther.
But now!
The beasts are reasoning
And beastly is the man
The trees are stunting
And plumeless are the birds
The fishes are panting to death
Because our Niger has lost her breath.
O noble Niger,
Our loving Niger
Now suffocating, you are
In the midst of mixed air!
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