Inspiring Amharic Poetry: A Reflection by Shimelis Amare (YouTube)

Tadias Magazine

By Tadias Staff

Published: April 2nd, 2020

New York (TADIAS) — There are glimmers of hope amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that’s wrecking havoc around the world. Today, U.S. scientists announced that they have developed a potential COVID-19 vaccine that could prevent infection, and which they hope to start testing on individuals in clinical trials in the coming months. In addition, recent data collected from California & Washington states — the first two states in the country to implement a stay at home policy — show that social distancing is working in reducing the infection rate.

In the meantime people from around the world are using the universal language of art, music and literature to connect and keep spirits up during these tumultuous and uncertain times that the United Nations Secretary General described as the “biggest global challenge since World War II.”

In the following video shared with us by one of our readers, Ethiopian Poet and Engineer Shimelis Amare reflects on these testing times, reminding us that in the end we will win through cooperation. Shimelis recites his beautiful poem accompanied by the distinct sound of the Ethiopian flute as featured on Yohannes Afewerk’s album Washint Melodies.

Shimelis introduces his video on YouTube with the following quote from the late African American Poet and Civil Rights Activist Maya Angelou:

“During bad circumstances, which is human inheritance, you must decide not to be reduced. You have your humanity, and you must not allow anything to reduce that. We are obliged to know we are global citizens. Disaster remind us we are world citizens, whether we like it or not.”

Audio: Amharic poem- “Just a reflection” by Shimelis Amare