The Pyle Inside

There once was a man named Alexander

His people called him the Great

He conquered vast lands from Macedonia to Iran

But he stopped at India’s gates

His men, conquerors of lands, were afraid

Of a kingdom vast and prosperous

Of a realm on the banks of 700 rivers

In its army were 300 war elephants

This kingdom was called Gangaridai

But now it is called Bangladesh

It was stripped of its wealth by the colonizer’s iron grip

And now it must start afresh

Indeed, our people had our golden age

But after the light comes the dark

When the Englishmen came with their flag red, white, and blue,

They left an irremovable mark

This land was once prosperous

So powerful it cowed empires

So rich, all eyes turned to it

But famine struck, and the situation became dire

Now Bangladesh is rising again

Its memories, a wind at its back

Our people may forgive, but we do not forget

The colonial ransack