I Thank You God by Bernard Dadié

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I thank you God for creating me black,

For making of me 

Porter of all sorrows,

Setting on my head

The World.

I wear the Centaur's hide

And I have carried the World since the first morning.

White is a colour for special occasions

Black the colour for every day 

And I have carried the World since the first evening.

I am glad

Of the shape of my head 

Made to carry the World,

Content

With the shape of my nose

That must snuff every wind of the World

Pleased

With the shape of my legs

Ready to run all the heats of the World.

I thank you God for creating me black

For making of me

Porter of all sorrows.

Thirty-six swords have pierced my heart. 

Thirty-six fires have burnt my body.

And my blood on all calvaries has reddened the snow, 

And my blood at every dawn has reddened all nature.

Still I am

Glad to carry the World, 

Glad of my short arms

of my long arms of the thickness of my lips.

I thank you God for creating me black.

White is a colour for special occasions 

Black the colour for every day

And I have carried the World since the dawn of time. 

And my laugh over the World, through the night, creates the Day

I thank you God for creating me black.