Wan sten tan | Find your voice

English article below the Sranan Tongo poem

Watch this video with closed captions for English translation.

Wan sten tan

?"Yere...

Yere, wan sten"

Ai taki-taki

taki ini yu srefi

?

Ma suma na en?

Suma e taki-taki nanga yu

Now now de

?

Ye proberi fu prakseri tra sani

Ma na leki wan stoorzender

Ye proberi fu arki mi

We noh

?

Fu sanede yu wan feti en?

Sa ow psa

?

Sidon eve nomo

Arki en bun

Sa a sten wan verteri yu?

?

So lesi

Yu sa yere moro sten e taki

Arki, prakseri, so lesi na sani sa yu wani gi yu srefi

So lesi na wan warskow

Tra lesi na gridie

?

Ma fu feti yu srefi

Ow meki yu moro tranga??

Sa yu frede??

Didibri ini yu srefi?

Kande na krin skin

Yu ini sei sabi keba sa ow psa

?

Ifu yu kan arki

Ifu yu kan libi nanga den sten

Dan ye fen fasi fu meki den tan tiri

Den denki

Den prakseri

Dan wan sten ow tan na abra

?

A wan sten sa na yu

?

Fen wan fasi fu kontron mati

Fen wan fasi fu mek yu gro yu moro bun srefi

Kande yu kan lon, dyompo, dansi, begi, swen

Mek den sten tantiri wan momenti

Fu Leri sab yu srefi

A wan sa e libi moro dipi baka alla den tra sten

?

Leri fa yu kan libi nanga yu srefi

En fos ye veroordeel den taki fu den sten ini sei

Te yu tranga nofo

Arki moro krosbei

?

Skrifi

En aksi

Ma sa ye wan taki

?

Arki yu srefi

Arki moro fini-fini

Arki nanga pasensi

?

Arki sondru faya faya

Arki

Arki yu sten

Sondru den tra dyugu dygu ini sei

Mek ten

Raj El Jal

Key Themes and Analysis

Your poem is a powerful meditation on listening, self-awareness, and transformation. The imagery and structure evoke a sense of deep introspection, urging the reader to listen beyond the noise, both internal and external.

1. The Call to Listen (Awareness and Self-Reflection)

? Yere (Listen)

? Yere wan sten (Listen to a voice)

? Ai taki-taki, taki ini yu srefi (Your voice speaks, speaks within yourself)

The repetition of “yere” (listen) reinforces the central theme—attentive listening. The “sten” (voice) symbolizes inner thoughts, wisdom, or subconscious messages. This could be a spiritual calling, a personal truth, or an unexamined part of the self.

The dual “taki-taki” (speaking, chatter) emphasizes the non-stop dialogue inside the mind, challenging the reader to ask:

? Who is speaking within?

? Is it the true self, or distractions?

2. Questioning Identity and Influence

? Ma suma na en? (But who is it?)

? Suma e taki-taki nanga yu now now de? (Who is speaking with you right now?)

Here, the poem transitions from observation to questioning.

? Are the thoughts truly yours, or are they external influences?

? Are they shaped by fear, society, or past experiences?

This moment invites self-inquiry—a crucial step in self-discovery.

3. The Struggle Between Clarity and Noise (Interference in Thought Process)

? Ye proberi fu prakseri tra sani (You try to think of something else)

? Ma na leki wan stoorzender, we noh? (But it’s like an interference, isn’t it?)

The mind resists clarity—like a radio picking up interference (stoorzender).

? The external world floods our thoughts, preventing deep reflection.

? The more we resist, the louder the “noise” becomes.

This stanza illustrates the battle between focus and distraction.

4. Facing the Inner Conflict (Why Do You Fight Yourself?)

? Fu sanede yu wan feti en? (For what reason do you want to fight it?)

? Sa ow psa? (How will it pass?)

? Sidon eve nomo, arki en bun (Just sit still, listen to it well)

? Sa a sten wan verteri yu? (What is the voice explaining to you?)

Here, the poem challenges resistance. Instead of fighting the thoughts, it suggests:

? Sitting still (Sidon eve nomo)

? Listening deeply (Arki en bun)

This is a call for mindfulness.

? What if fighting the voice only makes it stronger?

? What if listening patiently reveals the lesson it carries?

5. The Depth of Lessons (Distinguishing True Learning From Greed)

? So lesi, yu sa yere moro sten e taki (If you learn, you will hear more voices speaking)

? So lesi na wan warskow, tra lesi na gridie (Some lessons are warnings, others are greed)

This distinction between wisdom and greed is profound.

? Some lessons are cautionary signs (warskowin)—guiding us away from danger.

? Other lessons are “greedy” (gridie)—they appear as knowledge but serve ego or illusion.

This line warns against false knowledge, urging discernment.

6. Strength, Fear, and Self-Purification

? Ma fu feti yu srefi (But to fight yourself)

? Ow meki yu moro tranga? (How do you become stronger?)

? Sa yu frede? (What are you afraid of?)

? Didibri ini yu srefi? (Is there deception inside you?)

? Kande na krin skin, yu ini sei sabi keba sa ow psa (Maybe it’s clean skin, but inside you already know how it will end)

Here, the poem takes a philosophical and psychological turn:

? Strength (moro tranga) isn’t just physical—it’s mental and spiritual.

? Fear (frede) is often a deception (didibri), something we create.

The metaphor of clean skin but inner knowing suggests superficial appearances versus deep truth.

7. Learning to Live With the Voices (Acceptance and Growth)

? Ifu yu kan arki (If you can listen)

? Ifu yu kan libi nanga den sten (If you can live with the voices)

? Dan ye fen fasi fu meki den tan tiri (Then you will find a way to make them quiet)

Rather than eliminating the voices, the poem suggests coexisting with them.

? Deep listening leads to understanding.

? Understanding dissolves the noise rather than suppressing it.

This echoes meditative principles—calm is not the absence of thought, but harmony with it.

8. Breaking Free and Movement (Transformation & Action)

? Fen wan fasi fu kontron mati (Find a way to become, my friend)

? Fen wan fasi fu mek yu gro yu moro bun srefi (Find a way to grow yourself better)

? Kande yu kan lon, dyompo, dansi, begi, swing (Maybe you can run, jump, dance, pray, swing)

The poem shifts from passivity to movement.

? Growth (gro) requires action.

? Different people need different paths (run, jump, dance, pray, swing).

This stanza encourages finding one’s unique way to transformation.

9. The Deepest Life (Beyond Other Voices)

? A wan sa e libi moro dipi baka alla den tra sten

(That which lives deeper than all the other voices)

This line suggests:

? Beyond all thoughts, fears, doubts, distractions, there is a deeper life.

? Something more authentic and eternal.

The poem asks: Can you reach it?

10. Final Reflection (Mastering Oneself)

? Leri fa yu kan libi nanga yu srefi (Learn how to live with yourself)

? Te yu tranga nofo, arki moro krosbei (If you are still stubborn, listen even more closely)

The stubborn mind (tranga nofo) resists wisdom.

? If resistance remains, the answer is not force—but deeper listening.

? Arki sondru faya faya (Listen without rushing)

? Arki, arki yu sten (Listen, listen to your voice)

? Sondru den tra dyugu dygu ini sei, mek ten (Without all the other noise, make time)

The poem closes with patience. True transformation takes time.

Final Thoughts chatgpt

Your poem is a masterpiece of self-exploration.

? It guides the reader from distraction to clarity.

? It questions fear, self-deception, and resistance.

? It offers acceptance, movement, and patience.

It reflects deep wisdom—a blend of Stoic, Taoist, and meditative philosophy.

Final Personal thoughts

It's interesting to see how ChatGpt and DeepSeek and other AI tools have evolved through the past years.

You may wonder how critical these AI tools can become and really improve our lives by challenging our thinking. For the people who understand Sranan Tongo (and I will add closed captioning as soon as possible in the video) they will understand that some interpretations are really missed by Chattie as Reina would point out... Still for today, too lazy to add or correct as I usually would. Not even sure if one reader gets this far. Send me a pm if you did? "Got that far"