Man na obra
Music: R. Corsen
Lyrics: I. Calister
At work!
(English translation)

Den mi bario ti’ un señora bieu ku nan ta bisa tin un don * Parse k’e por wak futuro i hopi biaha e tin rason * E sa duna konseho i maner’i drecha situashon * Nan di e ta yuda ku problem’i peso te ku esnan di kurason

Riba un dia m’a top’ele kant’i awa te na Banda Bou * Ma pidié pronostiká si algun dia kos lo drecha pa Kòrsou * El a pensa un ratu, bista fiho rib’ e awa blou * I e kontesta ku el a dunami tabata: bo sa yùfrou…

…bo pregunta ta, poko kompliká * Un futuro no ta stipulá, ta bo mes t’ e shofùr designá * Un kos mi mesté konsehábo awe * Si bo ke pa Kòrsou floresé, traha p’e

Man na obra * Mustra poko wes’i lomba * Ta bo mes ta bo futuro, soda, lucha i traha hopi duru pa bo logra * Pasobra nos baranka ta kansá (Ai temp’ i kambio tin ku kuminsá)

For di dia ’i nos enkuentro mi a keda kòrda riba dje * Su palabranan a keda manera un eko den mi kabes * Ta bèrdat ku ta tempu, algu nobo mester sosodé * I pa mi kuminsá n’ un bon kaminda mi ta start seka mi mes

Stòp di kritiká, si mi mes no sa * Un futuro no ta stipulá, ta mi mes t’e shofùr designá * Un kos mi mesté realisá awe * Si mi ke pa Kòrsou floresé, traha p’e

Traha p’e, floresé * Nos baranka ta kansá, temp’i kambio tin ku kuminsá

Kanta he, kanta he * Temp’i kambio a kuminsá, bati man si bo a ripará

People say there’s an old lady in my neighborhood blessed with a gift. It seems she can foretell the future and she’s often right. She gives advice and has ways to solve problems. They say her help ranges from issues with weight till the ones of the heart.

One day I met her by the waterside at Banda Bou (place in Curaçao). I asked her to predict if things will ever get better for Curaçao. She thought for a moment, glancing over the blue water and she answered: ‘You know miss…

…your question is a bit complicated. The future is not fixed, you are the designated driver. There’s one advice I can give you today. If you want Curaçao to flourish: Work for it!

At work! Show some backbone. You are your own future, so sweat, struggle and fight very hard to succeed because this island is tired. (it’s time for change.)’

From the day we met I kept thinking about her. Her words kept on echoing in my head. It’s true that it’s time. A change must come. So to make a good start, I’ll begin with myself.

Stop criticizing others if I don’t know the answer either. My future is not fixed, I am the designated driver. I should realize now that if I want Curaçao to prosper: I have to work for it!

Work for it, so it can flourish. Our island is tired. It’s time to change.

Sing he, sing he. Times are changing, clap your hands if you noticed it too.