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PETITION OF AH LAN, by                    
First Line: If it's o.K. / with you gentlemen
Last Line: "will you come with me, ah lan?"")"


If it's O. K.
with you gentlemen,
I'll speak for my mother,
Ah Lan. She only
understands Chinese, see?

("I've heard of a lovely land, Ah Lan,
An isle in the bright jade sea,
Where Spring sings everywhere, Ah Lan --
Ah Lan, will you come with me?")

My father couldn't come today --
He's almost blind.
My father can't work any more --
He's 70 years old.

("There gaily-flowered trees, Ah Lan,
Shower the golden street --
Flame-blossoms on your hair, Ah Lan,
Red jewels at your feet.")

There's six of us kids
left at home now.
I'm the oldest boy,
and I'm the only one
who's helping out
with the gas-station, see?
The others go to school.

("And there our first-born child, Ah Lan,
Will come to honor us.
His brow will be most fair, Ah Lan
And marked with gentleness.")

After Father's eyes got bad
The Trust Company
took care of all the taxes.
My mother couldn't speak
a word of English, see?
She didn't even know
about these taxes!

("And we will buy the land, Ah Lan,
Long sun-browned fields -- and streams,
So will the rice spring high, Ah Lan,
So will the days bring dreams.")

This land is Kalihi --
only poor people live there.
They work for the W. P. A.
some of them for the Cannery,
And sometimes we can get the rent,
but most of the time we can't, see?

("Your lord will then grow rich, Ah Lan,
His gods of Chance will smile,
And we will robe in silks, Ah Lan,
And ride in high-born style.")

We've got the gas-station now --
that's all. And that's where we live too.
We wouldn't have to run a gas-station,
only we have nothing else now, see?

("These almond-petal hands, Ah Lan,
The long blue afternoon
Will play among the butterflies
Until the rising moon.")

This is my mother, Ah Lan.
My mother shouldn't have to work
in a gas-station,
because my mother's getting old --
because my mother's a lady too, see?

("And when we are old, Ah Lan, Ah Lan,
We will return in peace
To the lantern-moon of our youth, Ah Lan,
To the Dragon-land of the East.")

I hope you gentlemen
on the Committee
will be good to us.
I know we owe lots of taxes,
She's always worried about them,
but she says if you'll be good to us
she'll try hard to get some money
in 60 days -- if you'll be good to us --

("Will you come with me, Ah Lan, Ah Lan?
Will you come with me, Ah Lan?")





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