Forty-One Kandakas * Poem by Dr. Ahmed Gumaa Siddiek

I hail them the Forty-One women
Who trod on the lion's den
Forty-One, women
With bare hands, with no guns
They had gone
To defy the slayers
They did and made them run
With only bare hands without guns
Forty-One women
Went into the General's yard
In spite of his guard
And despite his soldiers
They defied his orders
With only bare hands
Then proudly went to prison
Not for treason, NAY
But for very good reason
Oh, that was a good Day
When they raised the voice for freedom
And waved the flag of their country
To celebrate their victory
With only bare hands
They came from different walks of life
Husbands & wives
Farmers & workers
Students & Teachers
Sisters & brothers
Sons & daughters
Fathers & Mothers
Lovers & Lovers
Together they marched
Shoulder to shoulder
To break the orders
And defy the soldiers
With only bare hands
They came from all over the land
Hand in hand
To toil the soil of our sand
And plant the seeds of freedom
for a better life
With bare hands
They came from the North and from the West
They came from the South and from the East
Full with hope and courage
To make the change for a better Sudan
From Halfa to Omdurman
from Nyala to Port Sudan
On bare feet
To make the change with only bare hands
Kandaka let me hail your great courage
You have marched towards freedom
With aspiration to build the nation
Equipped with knowledge
We celebrate your marriage
With the Henna on your feet
on your bare hands
A crown for your courage
So let me praise your strife
To save our honour, to save our lives
Let me praise the Forty-One women
And let the world glorify
The great job they have done
The Forty-One
With only bare hands
So hail the Kandaka from Halfa to Omdurman
From Nyala to Port Sudan
Who made the change with bare hands
To defy the soldiers
And break the orders
In our new Soudan