The Sahel’s Race

Groupe : FootPrint (www.footprint-musicband.net)

Titre: The Sahel’s Race

Paroles: Antoine Maisse, ©2007

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Toute utilisation à des fins commerciales est soumise à des droits suivant les règles de la SABAM.

 

I was living in a small village

I had friends, home and children

We had sheep and cattle everywhere

Soil was rich and land was good

 

We had little population

Soil was rich and life was good

But soon population increased,

We needed food and cultivation

 

And we came, and we slashed,

And we burned, we destroyed,

Ash everywhere…

We put seeds, we needed

Food for our children

Intensive farming…

 

We had food and so had our children

Intensive farming but life was good

After several years of cultivation

We let the soil replenish itself

 

But my children had grown and they had

Become parents

We needed more food and we couldn’t

Let time for nature to recover

 

And we came, we didn’t

Let time to nature to re-

plenish itself…

And the soil became poor

And the harvest was bad and still

It became worse…

 

Some people fled to greener places

They slashed, they burned, and ruined the soil

And as I stayed, I saw my land

Becoming dry, and I cried

 

As I saw dry rivers and streams

And as my throat was becoming dry

I knew in my heart that drought would come

And life became a nightmare

 

And drought came, swift and hard

And water disappeared

Cracks everywhere…

Minerals from evapo-

rated water formed

A salty crust

 

There was no more vegetation

Eroded land was everywhere

I was hungry and my throat was dry

I was alone…

 

I dug a huge hole in the ground

To store water

I made a pit full of organic matter

And in I put the few seeds I had left

 

And it grew, and it pierced

The eroded land

I had one tree…

I ate its juicy fruits

And I decided to start

Digging new pits…