M Pa Wè Yo
I Don’t See Them
Shilay
M Pa Wè Yo is an unreleased Haitian Afro-pop song questioning the promises, movements, beliefs, and political claims presented as paths toward change in Haiti. Through the recurring question "Kote yo? M pa wè yo," Shilay asks where the promised liberation, progress, justice, and solutions are, while confronting blame-shifting, exploitation, division, and the contradictions that leave people in the same position.
Verse 1
Ou di se blan, di se milat ki pa vle’w alèz
You say it’s white people and mulattoes who don’t want you to be comfortable
Se Joe Biden, Kamala, eh, ou te di ki pwoblèm
You said Joe Biden and Kamala were the problem
Jovenel Moïse nou sakrifye, di'l se diktatè
You sacrificed Jovenel Moïse, called him a dictator
Ou di plas ou pare nan syèl, eh, olye pou’w fè pwogrè
You say your place in heaven is secured instead of making progress
(Ya ya ya)
(Ya ya ya)
Di’m kòman bagay yo ye
Tell me how things are going
Èske’w poko delivre
Haven’t you been liberated yet?
Chak jou’w leve ou nan menm pozisyon
Every day you wake up in the same position
(Ya ya ya)
(Ya ya ya)
Kote militan nou yo
Where are our activists?
Kote avoka nou yo
Where are our advocates?
Jis kounya nou poko wè solisyon
Even now, we still haven’t seen a solution
Chorus
Kote yo, m pa wè yo
Where are they? I don’t see them
M pa wè yo, oh
I don’t see them, oh
Kote yo, m pa wè yo
Where are they? I don’t see them
M pa wè yo, oh
I don’t see them, oh
Pa wè yo
I don’t see them
M pa wè yo, oh
I don’t see them, oh
Kote yo, m pa wè yo
Where are they? I don’t see them
M pa wè yo, oh
I don’t see them, oh
Verse 2
W'ap kout'on bann fo pwofèt Ki di’w pral grand pwisans
You’re listening to a bunch of false prophets who tell you that you’ll become a great power
Rele Jezi, rele lwa yo! Viv nan inyorans
Call on Jesus, call on the lwa! Live in ignorance
Mete blokis, boule peyi w w'ap di se kolon
You shut the country down, you set it on fire, and then you blame the colonizers
Kraze biznis, pouse maji, eh Kache dèyè relijyon (an, an, an)
Destroy businesses, practice sorcery, then hide behind religion (an, an, an)
Depi se pa ou li ye
If something doesn’t belong to you
Ou pito mete dife
You would rather set it on fire
Ou toujou prèt pou’w anpeche yon lòt
You’re always ready to hold someone else back
Lavi chè, w'ap pwofite
You take advantage of the high cost of living
Pou abize malere
To exploit the poor
Epi w'ap pran pòz ou se patriyòt
Then you pretend to be a patriot
Writers
Shilderic Joamelus