Nday Biyañ / In Which Language - Hugo Jamioy

The poem Nday Biyañ by the Colombian poet Hugo Jamioy.

This poem is originally in Kamsá (also known as Kamentsá), the native language of the author, from the Kamëntsa people. You will find below the Kamsá and Spanish Version. And, at the end of this page, a loose translation to English.

Nday Biyañ	En qué lengua?
Mënté muent sëntsemna or atbe yentangbiam sëntsoyebuambná cbotjá muenta utabná: ¿nday biyañ chëngbe otjenayan tmojuabem? ontsinÿan tmojuabem ingles biyañ, ni mo españoliñ ndoñ. Atbeng entsabeman camëntá biyañ. Chca chcá ndocnaté quemochatenyeonan.	Hoy, que me encuentro en su oficina abogando por la vida de mi pueblo, le pregunto, señor presidente: ¿En qué lengua están escritos sus sueños? Parece que están escritos en inglés, ni siquiera en español. Los míos, los de mi pueblo están escritos en Kamëntsá. Así jamás nos entenderemos.

In Which Language?

Today, I find myself in your office

advocating for the live of my people,

I ask you, Mr. President:

¿In which language

are your dreams written?

It seems that they're written

in English, not even in Spanish.

Mine, and the ones from my people, are written

in Kamsá.

In this way

We'll never understand each other.

Note: English version available in this post is a loose translation from the Spanish version of the text .

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About The Poet

Hugo Jamioy Juagibioy (1971) is a Colombian indigenous poet and storyteller from the people Kamentsa. His texts reflects his culture about a variety of themes, related to introspection, feelings, and nature. His first book was published in 1999.