I learnt of Zainal Abidin’s Hijau through Alan Tan, Brunei’s International Coastal Cleanup Coordinator, while we were at AMETEC’s marine trash workshop in Korea.
I blogged about it shortly after in June – “The ozone is thinning and we still keep burning” – “Hijau” by Zainal Abidin (1990) [link]
Then YouTube unearthed none other than Hady Mirza singing “Hijau” with Zainal Abidin! How lovely!
“Dewasa ini kita saling merayakan (In recent days we are always celebrating)
Kejayaan yang akhirnya membinasakan (Successes that in the end will destroy us)
Apalah gunanya kematangan fikiran (What is the use of maturity of thinking)
Bila di jiwa kita masih lagi muda (when our souls remain infantile)
Dan mentah (and raw)
Ku lihat hijau (I see green)”
Others have asked before, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Chope4nature, one of two webpages debating the Cross Island LIne’s path through MacRitchie forests has highlighted the song. It is a question we ask ourselves often these days.
See all the lyrics at The Imperfect Mom.
