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On ɖ plenz v Īst Africa, evri yir
Smʈñ tecs ples ɖt z feṃs n rer
Wilḍbīsts en masse mc a gret mîgreśn
N ɖ jrni z fild wɖ mć tribyleśn
Fesñ denjrz n foz v mni cndz
Bt ɖe g on, wɖ wn ʈt in ɖer mîndz –
T fînd grīn pasćrz, īt n svîv
T gv brʈ t yuñ n cīp ɖm alîv

Laynz, hîīnaz n ćītaz alñ ɖ we
R perilz ɖe hv t cǒp wɖ evri de
Bt ɖ gretist ʈret n denjr
Z crosñ ɖ mîti Māra
A rivr ɖt’s brōd n swift-flowñ
Ɖ cuṛnt alon mcs it hevi-gwñ
N lrcñ bnʈ ɖ mrci wōtrz
R ɖ dedliist v ol ɖ preḍtrz

Croc̣dîlz, pôzd n redi fr wrc
Strîcñ ɖ smōl, ɖ struġlñ, ɖ wìc
Bt ɖ wilḍbīsts cntiny t srj
Tumḅlñ dǎn ɖ clifs n intu ɖ srf
Ol v ɖm drivn bî frenzi n fir
Pld fṛm in frunt n pśt fṛm ɖ rir
Traṿlñcmpańnz dis’pir left n rît
Bt slf-preẓveśn z ɖ ol-cnsymñ fît

N at ɖs dṛmatic, lîf-n-deʈ momnt
I wont t brec in wɖ mî poetic coment
Bcz ɖs z hǎ I si ǎr hymn lîf
In ɖs most denjṛs wrld fl v strîf
T ǎr left n rît ppl cīp dropñ
Bt w srj on fwd, ɖr’z no stopñ
Muɖrz n faɖrz n sistrz n bruɖrz
Cuznz n wrcmets n nebrz n uɖrz

Fōl bî ǎr sîdz, noct ǎt v lîf’s rês
Bcm victimz v biyñ in ɖ roñ ples
At ɖ roñ tîm, dy t naćṛl ctastṛfiz
Crîm, wor, sicnis, n uɖr c’laṃtiz
Bt ǎr lîvz cntiny, smhǎ w cīp swimñ
Cīpñ ǎr hedz abv wōtr, nt drǎnñ
In soro, w hv litl tîm fr ʈt or rflex́n
Abt ẃr w r gwñ or ẃ, no rūṃneśn

R w bt hrdz v bīsts drivn bî instñt?
F w liv in ɖs we, w’l sn b xtñt
Ẃt hz hapnd t ǎr hymaṇti?
Ẃ ol ɖs hart-n-mîndlis insaṇti?
It’s tîm t gt bac t besics n tec stoc
V ẃt’s importnt fr ɖ hol floc
V mancînd, d’nt jst se, “It’s nt m!”
Bcz, fr śur, wn de it wl b.

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