Pity the nation

Pity the nationwhose people are sheep,

and whose shepherds mislead them.

Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced,

and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.

Pity the nation that raises not its voice,

except to praise conquerors and acclaim the bully as hero

and aims to rule the world with force and by torture.

Pity the nation that knows no other language but its own

and no other culture but its own.

Pity the nation whose breath is money

and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed.

Pity the nation — oh, pity the people who allow their rights to erode

and their freedoms to be washed away.

My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty. ~Lawrence Ferlinghetti

(Book: Ferlinghetti's Greatest Poems https://amzn.to/49qBP5s)

Art Credit: Lesley Oldaker

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Ayez pitié de la nation dont le peuple est constitué de moutons, que les bergers égarent. Ayez pitié de la nation dont les dirigeants sont des menteurs, dont les sages sont réduits au silence, et dont les fanatiques hantent les ondes.

Ayez pitié de la nation qui n'élève pas la voix, si ce n'est pour louer les conquérants et acclamer le tyran comme un héros et qui vise à gouverner le monde par la force et par la torture. Ayez pitié de la nation qui ne connaît pas d'autre langue que la sienne et pas d'autre culture que la sienne. Ayez pitié de la nation dont le souffle est l'argent et qui dort du sommeil des trop bien nourris. Ayez pitié de la nation - oh, pitié de ces gens qui laissent leurs droits s'éroder et leurs libertés emportées. Mon pays, tes larmes, douce terre de liberté.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti, an American poet and co-founder of the City Lights Bookstore and publishing house, published "Pity the Nation" in his collection "A Coney Island of the Mind" in 1958. While Ferlinghetti did not write "Pity the Nation" himself, he included it in his collection, showcasing his admiration for Gibran's work and highlighting the poem's relevance to contemporary social and political issues. Ferlinghetti's connection to the poem lies in its inclusion in his influential collection.