Aku Pema (Tibetan: ཨ་ཁུ་པདྨ་, Wylie: a khu pad ma; Amdo Tibetan [akʰɯ panma]) is a Tibetan song, written by the Tibetan singer Palgon (Wylie: dpal mgon, Amdo Tibetan ). It is considered to be calling for the Dalai Lama to return, but this is indirect. At no point during the song do the lyrics mention the Dalai Lama. The reference to the Dalai Lama is through a nickname Aku Pema, Tibetan for Uncle Lotus, which is a name for the Dalai Lama in Amdo, Tibet. The song won the best lyrics award at the 2003 Tibetan Music Awards.
Lyrics
"Uncle Pema"
By Palgon (original in Tibetan)
- Oh Uncle Pema!
- Oh mighty Eagle adorned with a conch-white stripe!
- If you soar up heavenwards, you adorn the azure sky,
- If you descend earthwards, you gladden the craggy mountains.
- And, your absence makes the craggy ledges bereft of any life!
- Oh Uncle Pema!
- Duck with the golden rosary
- If you fly out of the water, you adorn the meadows,
- If you swim in the water, you gladden the water’s spirits
- And, your absence makes the lake bereft of life and spirit!
- Oh Uncle Pema!
- Oh handsome Youth, adorned with conch-white teeth like a tiger!
- If you go way, you are a credit to your fellow townsfolk, and
- If you come this way, you are a star amongst your peers.
- And, your absence makes my heart bereft of love and meaning!
See also
References
- "The first-ever Tibetan music awards 2003". Music Tibet. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
External links
- Video of Aku Pema on YouTube
- Oh Uncle Pema! The Role of Musical Agency in the Creation of a Modern Tibetan Identity