Dihan (It is Hard to be a Farmer)
Xinjiang, China 2008

The Uyghur’s are a tribal Turk, whose cultural roots belong more to Central Asia and the Middle East, than China. Under Chinese rule much of
Xinjiang has changed, leading to larger industrial cities, and the erosion of traditional life. In protest to Chinese rule many poets and musicians
have been imprisoned or executed in the last 50 years. This has lead to much of the folk music and culture becoming subversive and politicised.

The poem was chosen and translated with the help of the Uk Uyghur Council.