Sonny's Lettah YouTube (Anti-sus Poem Wiki) Linton Kwesi Johnson Wiki
Ik heb het vertaald, maar dat sloeg echt nergens op, misschien kan een rapper het.
Sonny schrijft vanuit de gevangenis een brief aan zijn moeder:
Mama, ik heb beloofd dat ik op mijn broertje Jimmy zou letten, maar het is helemaal mis gegaan.
We stonden gewoon op de bus te wachten en toen kwam de politie ze wilden hem oppakken, alleen maar omdat hij er verdacht uit zag.
Hij verzette zich en toen sloegen ze hem in elkaar.
Ik kon daar niet zomaar blijven staan, mama, zonder iets te doen.
Toen heb ik die agent in elkaar geslagen, hij viel op een vuilnisbak en toen was hij dood. Toen kwam er nog meer politie en we werden allebei opgepakt, Jimmy omdat hij er verdacht uitzag en ik werd beschuldigd van moord.
Niet depressief worden, mama, hou goede moed.
SONNY'S LETTAH
From Brixton Prison, Jebb Avenue London S.W. 2 Inglan
Dear mama
Good day
I hope that when these few lines reach you they may
Find you in the best of health
I doun know how to tell ya dis
For I did mek a solemn promise
To tek care a lickle Jim
An try mi bes fi look out fi him
Mama, I really did try mi bes
But none a di less
Sorry fi tell ya seh, poor lickle Jim get arres
It was de miggle a di rush hour
Hevrybody jus a hustle and a bustle
To go home fi dem evenin shower
Mi an Jim stan up waitin pon a bus
Not causin no fuss
When all of a sudden a police van pull up
Out jump tree policemen
De whole a dem carryin baton
Dem walk straight up to me and Jim
One a dem hold on to Jim
Seh dem tekin him in
Jim tell him fi leggo a him
For him nah do nutt'n
And 'im nah t'ief, not even a but'n
Jim start to wriggle
De police start to giggle
Mama, mek I tell you wa dem do to Jim?
Mek I tell you wa dem do to 'im?
Dem thump him him in him belly and it turn to jelly
Dem lick 'im pon 'im back and 'im rib get pop
Dem thump him pon him head but it tough like lead
Dem kick 'im in 'im seed and it started to bleed
Mama, I jus couldn't stan up deh, nah do nuttin'
So mi jook one in him eye and him started fi cry
Me thump him pon him mout and him started fi shout
Me kick him pon him shin so him started fi spin
Me hit him pon him chin an him drop pon a bin
- an crash, an dead
More policman come dung
Dem beat me to the grung
Dem charge Jim fi sus
Dem charge mi fi murdah
Mama, doan fret
Doan get depress an downhearted
Be of good courage
Till I hear from you
I remain
Your son,
Sonny
From Brixton Prison, Jebb Avenue London S.W. 2 England
Dear Mama,
good day
I hope that when these few lines reach you they may
find you in the best of health
I don't know how to tell you this
for I did make a solemn promise
to take care of little Jim
and try my best to look out for him
Mama, I really did try my best
but nonetheless sorry to tell you so, poor little Jim got arrested
it was in the middle of the rush hour
everybody just hustling and bustling
to go home for their evening shower
me and Jim stood waiting for a bus
not causing any fuss
when all of a sudden a police van pulled up
out jumped three policemen
all of them carrying batons
they walked straight up to me and Jim
one of them held on to Jim
said they were taking him in
Jim told him to let go of him
for he had not done anything
and he was no thief, not even a button
Jim started to wriggle
the police started to giggle
Mama, may I tell you what they did to Jim?
may I tell you what they did to him?
They thumped him in his belly and it turned to jelly
They beat him on his back and his rib broke
They thumped him on his head but it's tough like lead
They kicked him in his seat and it started to bleed
Mama, I just couldn't stand there, doing nothing
So I jugged one in the eye and he started to cry
I thumped him on his mouth and he started to shout
I kicked him on his shin so he started to spin
I hit him on his chin and he dropped upon a bin
- and crash, and dead
More policemen came down
they beat me to the ground
they charged Jim for sus1
they charged me for murder
Mama, don't fret
don't get depressed and downhearted
be of good courage
until I hear from you
I remain
Your son,
Sonny.