Larry Long wrote the song Tibet with 5th grade students in honor of Mr. Gyatsho Tshering. Mr. Tshering worked directly with the Dalai Lama in India for over 30 years after Tibet was invaded and hundred of thousands of Tibetans were thrown into exile. The lyrics (which are posted below) speak for themselves. The English translation for the chorus to Tibet is “Peace, Loving-Kindness, Compassion”. The video podcast will be up soon and is of Larry and the kids singing “Tibet” for Mr. Gyatsho Tshering at an Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song celebration in March of 2008.
Larry Long is working on a new CD collection of original works, tentatively entitled “Old Ways”. The song Tibet will be featured on this collection. This recording of Tibet is a “work in progress. The chorus and additional instrumentation is yet to be added”. Larry is featured on vocals and 12-string guitar. Featured on percussion is Marc Anderson and on electric bass is Enrique Toussaint.
I was born in a beautiful country,
In the mountains of Tibet,
In the land of the Dalai Lama,
In the land of Consciousness.
Growing up along the border
Beneath a ripe orange tree,
Sitting with my grandfather,
Words of kindness, he taught me.
Peace, Loving-Kindness, Compassion
Through 14 Dalai Lamas,
We were taught to do one thing,
At a time with 5 senses,
A diplomat, I chose to be.
Then from across the border,
Like a colony of ants,
We could smell dead bodies burning,
For days and days after that.
Peace, Loving-Kindness, Compassion
Burning books by the millions,
They took everything they could steal,
Destroyed 6,000 monasteries
Beneath clothing we concealed.
The sacred text of our people
Held tightly against our chest,
As we fled across the border,
To India from Tibet.
Peace, Loving-Kindness, Compassion
Without land, without a country,
One hundred thousand refugees,
One million killed, so many orphaned,
The Dalai Lama called for me.
Will you be there to help the children,
To build schools, clinics, libraries,
Will you be there to help the people,
Serving others, I agreed.
Peace, Loving-Kindness, Compassion
What can we do but to be mindful,
Where can we go but to be kind,
Compassionate,
to soothe those who suffer,
To keep hope alive.
For Tibet, for the children,
For those in whom, yet to arise,
May love grow, May love prosper,
May Tibet never die.
Peace, Loving-Kindness, Compassion
Words & music by Larry Long
with Children of Minnesota