Apha (ཨ་ཕ།) by Dekyi Tsering (བདེ་སྐིྱད་ཚེ་རིང།)

I wanted to share this video today because of the beautiful and touching lyrics. I am sure you all have already figured out that Apha is His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The video has both Tibetan and English translation but for those who don’t read fast. Here is the english translation of the lyrics:

Apa (Father) In the centre of a family, illuminate the ever-burning lamp.

To great loving father, who carries the hopes of his children I offer you the lamp of my heart.

As I offer incense in the morning, I consecrate the best wishes In the praising of “Kyi Kyi So So”,and in the rising of the white smoke I send hundreds and thousands of prayers.

How have you been, long separated, far away, and much-missed father?

How are you brothers and sisters, who have left your homes?

The fatherland with the dying grassland, and the black tent that merely withstands the storm.

Its children never hear the sound of happiness,

They wash their faces with the tears of sadness.

Never have they experienced the happiness of being reunited,

Only do they hear the sound of sad sighs Day after day, night after night, year after year.

Oh, my dear Lama, my great loving father, Please don’t be sad.

Though the warmth is absent in our homes, We can feel the warmth from your words of wisdom.

We are the successors of your pursuit

We will materialize your dreams

We will work hard at learning Tibetan Our language will never be forgotten

Our traditions will be passed on

Our food will be enjoyed, moreover,

Our fatherland will be loved from the bottom of our hearts.

Dear father, You are the one that I will never forget

You are the one that is remembered constantly

You are the loving father, the compassionate mother

You are the holiness

You are the reliable friend

You are the holder of our fatherland

Thus, you are my only hope

My great loving father, I miss you in the day,

I dream of you at night,

My dear loving father,

With the brilliant radiance of the rising sun

Please come home.

We’re anxiously counting the days till you return

I sincerely pray that your radiant body Will not be hidden by dark clouds, forever safe.

Hope we, father and son will meet again Where we were separated.

For thy, I wholeheartedly pray and pray.