I asked her to tell me her story
she started by looking away
gazing back into that darkness when she knelt to pray.
the planes dropped the bombs before daybreak -
the Janjaweed stormed with the dawn.
those who could fled to the forest to hide till they'd gone.
returning to ruins by moonlight
she found she was orphaned and then
there they began their exodus out of Sudan.
her husband, Ali, gently warned her
"if worse comes, don't try to save me."
you must survive with the children, so hide quietly.
the next day the Janjaweed raiders
caught up and took all of the men
she watched herself widowed
while guarding their sleeping children
then into the infinite star skies
through storming sands
they crossed into Chad from Sudan (bridge)
his love for her kept her running
while her love for him kept her calm
smiling when she says his name.
like a prayer for Sudan.
now as i write you her story
magboula rocks under the tree
no food for the child she cradles
staring at me.
what will it take to remember
what we said we'd never forget.
never again, is now, once again in Sudan.
never again, is now, once again in Sudan.
like a prayer for Sudan
[bamanankan background vocals]
let's pray to get out of the dark.
some people made a plan and dropped a bomb.
let's take the children and run away.
mother and children took flight
woman gets scared by a lot of bad things.
woman, let's hid your children.
fighting, fighting, stop fighting, stop fighting.
people get up from sleeping
oh Sudan, Sudan it will never happen again
god will not make it happen again
it will never happen again
let's pray for Sudan
never happen again
stop fighting stop fighting fighting ruins everything.
she started by looking away
gazing back into that darkness when she knelt to pray.
the planes dropped the bombs before daybreak -
the Janjaweed stormed with the dawn.
those who could fled to the forest to hide till they'd gone.
returning to ruins by moonlight
she found she was orphaned and then
there they began their exodus out of Sudan.
her husband, Ali, gently warned her
"if worse comes, don't try to save me."
you must survive with the children, so hide quietly.
the next day the Janjaweed raiders
caught up and took all of the men
she watched herself widowed
while guarding their sleeping children
then into the infinite star skies
through storming sands
they crossed into Chad from Sudan (bridge)
his love for her kept her running
while her love for him kept her calm
smiling when she says his name.
like a prayer for Sudan.
now as i write you her story
magboula rocks under the tree
no food for the child she cradles
staring at me.
what will it take to remember
what we said we'd never forget.
never again, is now, once again in Sudan.
never again, is now, once again in Sudan.
like a prayer for Sudan
[bamanankan background vocals]
let's pray to get out of the dark.
some people made a plan and dropped a bomb.
let's take the children and run away.
mother and children took flight
woman gets scared by a lot of bad things.
woman, let's hid your children.
fighting, fighting, stop fighting, stop fighting.
people get up from sleeping
oh Sudan, Sudan it will never happen again
god will not make it happen again
it will never happen again
let's pray for Sudan
never happen again
stop fighting stop fighting fighting ruins everything.
×
![]()
