Mother Tongue Other Tongue Poetry Competition Winners 2025

Соняшник на завтра

Poem

Потрісканий ґрунт

Розбиті дороги

Обвуглені будівлі

Порізані кордони

Стиснуті кулаки

Холодні домівки

Затягнуте хмарами небо

Залишаються рани, але й соняшники теж

 

З землі і печалі постає єдина краса.

Золотий вартовий надії.

Її полум'я, занурене в сонце, горить яскраво.

Чує крики війни, але не в'яне.

Її коріння росте глибоко, стираючи шрами війни.

 

Ніяка кров не може заплямувати її золоті пелюстки

Ніяке горе не важить настільки, щоб зігнути її стебло

Ніяка війна не може розбити її серце, осяяне сонцем

Ніякі кордони не зможуть закрити її сповнений надії погляд

Ніякий прапор не майорить сміливіше, ніж соняшник на вітрі

 

Тому я дарую тобі

Вінець світла.

Зерно миру.

Дорогу до справедливості.

Соняшник для завтрашнього дня

Translation

Cracked soil

Crumbled roads

Charred buildings

Cut borders

Clenched fists

Cold homes

Clouded skies

Some wounds remain, but so do sunflowers

 

From soil and sorrow a single beauty emerges

A golden sentinel of hope

Its sun-dipped flames burning bright

Hearing the cries of war, but still it does not wither

Its roots grow deep, erasing scars of war

 

No blood can stain its golden petals

No grief weighs heavy enough to bend its stem

No war can shatter its sunlit heart

No border can block its hopeful gaze

No flag waves more bravely than a sunflower in the wind

 

So here I give you

A crown of brightness

A seed of peace

A road to justice

A sunflower for tomorrow

Explanation

This is an original poem, inspired by Ukraine’s enduring spirit. The sunflower is a national emblem of Ukraine and is a symbol of light and peace. It is deeply imbedded in Ukraine’s culture and has become an international symbol of resilience. I decided to include this powerful symbol in the poem to convey how, despite hardship, people must turn towards peace and avoid division. The moral of the poem is to portray the importance of perseverance and staying strong, however harsh life may seem. I was born in Odesa, in Ukraine and my mother and her parents have live d in Ukraine their whole life. Even since moving to the UK, the language has become a permanent piece of me. The war in Ukraine has affected many families, including mine. It brought along feelings of fear, grief and overwhelming sadness. There is constant uncertainty of the future due to the threat of violence affecting family who still live in Ukraine, and sometimes it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. That being said, we remain resilient and hopeful even when life is tough. We stay strong just like the sunflower.

De Conquête à Coexistence

Poem

Je suis venue pour régner

J’ai franchi les mers,

Avec des lois et l’arrogance des empires.

Je parle fort. Je voulais tout dominer:

Les mots, les noms, le silence, les souvenirs.

 

Mais le sol était ancien.

Il chantait déjà dans mille langues.

Le vent murmurait, “Ahlan” (Bienvenue),

Et le cèdre m’a regardée sans peur.

 

J’ai vu l’arabe, fluide comme le Litani,

Doré comme un vers ancien.

Et l’anglais passait, rapide et jeune,

écrit sur les murs, parlé dans les rues,

Accompagné de l’armenien doux,

Du syriaque gentil, et du kurde mélodieux.

 

Il y avait de la place pour moi.

Pour tous.

Aucune langue effacée,

Mais des voix qui s’entrelacent

Comme des branches d’olivier

 

Alors j’ai changé.

Je suis entrée doucement,

Dans les cafés, les chansons, les magasins,

Les sourires.

“Ça va, habibi?” (mon cher)

J’ai déposé mes armes. J’ai écouté.

 

Je ne suis plus l’envahisseuse.

Je suis l’invitée.

Je ne remplace plus; je me mêle.

Je m’adapte. Je vis.

 

Je suis venue pour régner,

Mais maintenant je parle à voix basse.

Je n’ai pas disparu; j’ai évolué.

Je ne suis plus seulement française.

Je suis devenue francophone.

Partagée, vivante, Une langue parmi d’autres,

Et pourtant entière.

Translation

I came to rule.

I crossed the seas

With laws and the arrogance of empires.

I spoke loudly. I wanted to dominate it all:

Words, names, silence, memories.

 

But the ground was ancient.

It already sang in a thousand tongues.

The wind whispered, “Ahlan” (Welcome),

And the cedar looked at me without fear.

 

I saw Arabic, fluid like the Litani,

Golden like an old verse.

And English passed by, quick and young,

Written on walls, spoken in streets,

Accompanied by soft Armenian,

Gentle Syriac, and melodic Kurdish.

 

There was space for me.

For all.

No language erased,

But voices intertwined

Like olive branches.

 

So I changed.

I entered softly,

Into cafés, songs, shops,

And smiles.

“Ça va, habibi?” (How are you, my dear?)

I laid down my arms. I listened.

 

I am no longer the invader.

I am the guest.

I no longer replace; I blend.

I adapt. I live.

 

I came to rule,

But now I speak softly.

I have not disappeared; I have evolved.

I am no longer just French.

I have become Francophone.

Shared, alive, One language among others,

And yet whole.

Commentary

I wrote this poem to explore my multilingual identity, but instead of making it about languages fighting for dominance, I wanted to show how they can coexist and how they can actually make each other stronger. No language or linguistic identity needs to be erased or die for another to replace it; every language can have a place in a country like Lebanon that welcomes diversity. The poem, written from the imagined perspective of the French language, traces its transformation from a tool of colonial power to a voice of cultural coexistence. Arriving in Lebanon with the intent to dominate, French confronts an ancient and richly multilingual land where Arabic is fluid and where languages like English (another recent arrival), Armenian, Syriac, and Kurdish are already deeply woven into the everyday life of the Lebanese people. Taken aback by this unexpected linguistic landscape, which seems welcoming and fearless rather than hostile to this foreign intruder, French gradually yields rather than sticking to its mission of replacing these voices. It listens. It adapts. It finds itself no longer the centre, but one voice among many. In recognising the beauty and resilience of Lebanon’s linguistic landscape, French evolves. It no longer defines itself solely as the language of France, but as Francophone: a shared, living language shaped by those who speak it. The poem is ultimately a celebration of reconciliation, humility, coexistence and appreciation of multilingual identity. It shows that languages, like people, can change and evolve, and in doing so, become more complete.

Poem

Explanation

My poem follows the themes of equality and diversity. It’s the idea that if society and the people within it are able to become more accepting of each other, we can create a society where everybody can be themselves, each person a unique piece in the mosaic of life. Hate and negativity will always exist which is why we all need to be supporting of each other, rather than bringing each other down.

I chose to write my poem in Albanian as I haven’t really ever seen it used that often compared to languages such as Spanish, French and German, often taught in schools. Due to the competitions key ideas of diversity, I thought it would be interesting to learn a few words and phrase in a completely different ‘gjuna’ (language).

શાંતિનારંગો (The Colours of Peace)

Poem

શબ્દોઘાવઆપે,

પણમાફીઆરામલાવે.

રંગજુદાહોય, તોશું?

સપનામાંસૌસાથજપાવે.

 

હુંસફેદછુંકેકાળો —

એતોપ્રશ્નનથી.

હ્રદયનીભાષાસૌનેસમજે,

એજતોશક્તિછેતીથી.

 

એકનજરમાંભેદદેખાય,

પણઅંદરતોએજદીવો.

અંધકારવિસારી,

આપણેશાંતિનોસાચવોદીવો.

 

હાથમાંહાથધરીએ,

વિવાદનહીં, પ્રેમબોલાવીએ.

સાંભળીએ, સમજીએ —

ભેદભાવનેભૂલાવીએ.

 

હુંતારીવાર્તાસાંભળવાતૈયારછું,

તુંપણમારીસાંભળે —

એટલુંજઇચ્છુંછું.

Translation

Words may wound,
But forgiveness brings comfort.
So what if our colours differ?
In dreams, we all walk together.

Whether I am white or black —
That is not the question.
The language of the heart is understood by all,
That is the true strength of humanity.

At a glance, we may seem different,
But inside, the same light glows.
Let us forget the darkness,
And protect the true flame of peace.

Let’s hold hands,
Not argue, but speak with love.
Let’s listen and understand —
And leave all prejudice behind.

I am ready to hear your story,
If you are ready to hear mine —
That’s all I truly wish for.

Just to clarify some lines may not sound as meaningful in English as I wrote the poem straight into my mother tongue.

Explanation

This poem is inspired by the importance of peace, understanding, and embracing diversity in our world today. As a young individual growing up in a diverse society, I strongly believe in the power of compassion and unity. While we may come from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, we all share common dreams and hopes. The poem encourages the idea of embracing these differences and building bridges instead of walls. By listening to each other, learning from each other, and leaving behind hatred, we can create a more peaceful, harmonious world. My inspiration comes from a deep belief that we are stronger together, and it is through kindness, understanding, and peace that we can truly make a difference.

Niesione Wiatrem (Carried by the Wind)

Poem

Unser Lachen wird vom Wind getragen.

Und es gibt keine Sorgen, die uns plagen.

Nieważne, na której granicy dorastałeś.

Jak byliśmy razem, zawsze o tym zapominałeś.

 

Doch aus dem Westen trug der Wind

Geräusche, die nach Schüssen kling.

Schwarze Kreuze entnahmen Leben,

Doch schafften es manche zu überleben.

 

Als Geister sah man sie arbeiten,

Unter höhstem Hunger leiden.

Doch helfen konnte man nicht,

Sonst kamen schwarze Kreuze mit ihrer Pflicht.

 

Kiedy zwycięstwo zniszczyło czarne krzyże,

Nasze narody się zbliżyły.

W końcu wiatr przestał być wypełniony strzałami,

Ale był wypełniony melodiami—

Melodiami o pokoju.

Translation

Our laughter is carried by the wind,

And there are no worries that trouble us.

It doesn’t matter on which side of the border you grew up—

When we were together, you always forgot about it.

 

But from the West, the wind brought

Sounds that rang like gunfire.

Black crosses took away lives,

Though some still managed to survive.

 

Like ghosts, one saw them work,

Heard them suffer from hunger.

But no one could help—

Otherwise, the black crosses would come for them.

 

When victory came, it destroyed the black crosses.

Our nations grew closer.

At last, the wind no longer carried gunshots—

But instead was filled with melodies,

Melodies of peace.

Explanation

This poem is about the Second World War, with a particular focus on Poland and Germany. The poem is written from the perspective of my grandma, who was still a child when the war broke out. She was Polish but grew up on the Polish-German border and had friends who were both German and Polish. Parts of her family also married Germans. So even though the Second World War was a tough time for everyone, my grandma’s family always had access to clothes and other facilities that were not available in Poland as their relatives would send it to them.

The first verse is about the time before the Second World War. In particular, it refers to the light-heartedness of a child, my grandma.

The second and third verses are about the war. My grandma would never talk to me about that; however, my mom passed on the stories to me. She told me how the German soldiers would kill people and how the surviving Jews were forced into hard labour and that they suffered from massive malnutrition and looked like ghosts to my grandma. Sometimes she saw people trying to help them by giving them food, however, the Nazis would find these people and they would then suffer the same fate.

The last verse describes the peace that grew between the two nations after the end of the war. However, though Germany and Poland are friends now, it was not like that when the war ended. Even my parents were telling me about war propaganda on the television against Germany when they were growing up. The German language that was initially spoken by many Polish people, including my grandma, became a forbidden language in society. So even though my grandma was able to speak German when she was young, she forgot how to speak the language by the time she was an adult.

I decided to write the poem in both German and Polish as my entire family is from Poland and I grew up speaking this language at home. However, as I was born in Germany, I did not only grow up with the Polish culture but also with the German one.

Prologue – By Yun Gong-ju

Poem

Translation

Wishing not to have so much as a speck of shame

toward heaven until the day I die,

I suffered, even when the wind stirred the leaves.

 

With my heart singing to the stars,

I shall love all things that are dying.

 

And I must walk the path

that has been given to me.

 

Tonight again,

the wind brushes the stars.

Explanation

I learned this poem at Korean school when I was 12. The reason I want to share this poem is it is really beautiful, and it can be interpreted historically too.

The poem is called ‘Seo-si’. It is written by Yun Dong-ju who is famous for his rebellion poem when Korea was colonised by Japan. Seo-si is one of the most famous poems in Korea and is known as the poem best representing Yun Dong-ju. Though it was written during World War 2,which is also when Korea was colonised by Japan, Yun Dong-ju is singing about not only peace to the world but also inner peace.

When I first read Seo-si, I was deeply inspired by the part ‘I shall love all things dying‘. This expresses Yun Dong-ju’s love and shows how he wishes peace. Furthermore, the phrase ‘Wishing not to have so much as a speck of shame toward heaven until the day I die ‘ made me realise that true peace begins with being truthful to ourselves. After re-reading this poem, I have realised that peace and reconciliation is not just a grand task for society, but deeply related to our everyday actions, such as how we treat others or how we reflect on ourselves. For example, I have started to try stopping myself from blaming others and started to reflect more on myself. This made me change my attitude to other people and myself. I hope more people will read this poem and have a similar reaction as I did.