Dear Ankur,

Thank you for your question,for your wonderful poem.My students learned the thoughts and biography by M.Gandhi (we participated in the competition,devoted to the wisdom of M.Gandhi in America),and we listened to and discussed "I have a dream".Thank you,dear Nicholas, dear Daryn."Red poppies are the bitter memory of Earth".I'd like to cite the amazing quatations of the epic poems,offered by our dear Ljubomir."The ballads of Serbia occupy the highest position in the ballad literature of Europe"J.Grimm."One land only but two masters. A single people who are doubly taxed"V.Karadzic."Peace,peace to all who wander"J.Matthias."A field like no other/Heaven above it/Heaven below"V.Popa."Oh,my bird,or my deer grey falcon/,How do you feel with  your wing torn out?/"I'm feeling with my wing torn out/Like a brother one without the other"T.Judah.It reminds me "The Lay of Igor's Raid"(Old Slavic epos), or "The Song of Roland",or "Nibelungenlied",or "Cantar de Mio Cid"Slavic epos is devoted to the unsuccessful campaign of Russian princes (knyazya) to Polovtsian khans, the princes' feud, the successful battles in the ancient times (1185)."The present sorrows,moans of Kiev and scourge of Chernigov are because of conflicts of the young princes for another's property,their imprudence and rebellions"-the author writes.It's a calling for revenge for Igor's offense."God doesn't abandon a righteous and holy human being in the hands of sinners".I like "The Lay of Igor's Campaign"in the translation of Nabokov. http://artyx.ru/books/item/f00/s00/z0000019/st030.shtmlhttps://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3,_%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD_%D0%9B%D1%8E%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80http://fotokto.ru/photo/view/2906592.html

I do suppose that this question is contingent upon 'what is considered poetry'. Myself, I consider "I have a dream", by Dr. Martin Luther King to be the greatest speech and poetic expression of my nation. I always cry whenever I listen to the beauty and thoughtfulness of MLK's language. It is needless to explain how instrumental this speech has become in the history of civil rights in the U.S. and abroad.

Dear @Ankur, it is Serbian Epic Poetry!

THE BATTLE OF KOSOVO - Serbian Epic Poems! 1389.

"The Battle of Kosovo cycle of heroic ballads is generally considered the finest work of Serbian folk poetry. Commemorating the Serbian Empire's defeat at the hands of the Turks in the late fourteenth century, these poems and fragments of poems have been known for centuries in Eastern Europe. With the appearance of the collections of Serbian folk poems by Vuk Stefanovic Karadzic, the brilliance of the poetry in the Kosovo and related cycles of ballads was affirmed by poets and critics as deeply influential as Goethe, Jacob Grimm, Adam Mickiewicz and Alexander Pushkin..."

http://staff.lib.msu.edu/sowards/balkan/lecture5.html

http://www.kosovo.net/history/battle_of_kosovo.html

http://home.earthlink.net/~markdlew/SerbEpic/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_epic_poetry

Dear Nicholas,

India and America, being the world's two greatest democracies share much common ideologies. I have heard that Martin Luther King Jr. was influenced deeply by Gandhiji. Not unlike colour based discrimination in the US, caste based discrimination existed in India too and just like King, Gandhi strived and worked to bring freedom to the society in true sense of the word. The speech was really a masterpiece of inspiring literature. Thanks a lot for sharing it with us. Here, I would also like to add Gandhiji's favourite poem in Gujrati by Narsinh Mehta

Vaishnava (devotees of Lord Vishnu) people are those who,

Feel the pain of others,

Help those who are in misery,

But never let ego or conceit enter their mind.

Vaishnavas, respect the entire world,

Do not censure anyone,

Keep their words, actions and thoughts pure,

The mother of such a soul is blessed.

Vaishnavas see all equally, renounce greed and avarice,

Respect women as they respect their own mother,

Their tongue never utters false words,

Their hands would never touch the wealth of another.

Vaishnavas do not succumb to worldly attachments,

They are detached from worldly pleasures,

They are enticed by the name of God (Shri Ram),

All holy sites of pilgrimage are embodied within them.

Vaishnavas encompasses the absence of greed and deceit,

They have renounced all types of lust and anger,

The author of this poem (Narsi) would be grateful to meet such a soul,

Whose virtue liberates their entire lineage.

The translation may cause a little loss in the soul of poetry, so I am adding a link to the original poem.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIvCtJEispY

Dear Ljubomir,

I had a very rudimentary knowledge about Serbian history and in fact the whole Eastern Europe. Your post was really enlightening for me. Whenever I would think of the Serbia - one thing I would definitely think of is the brave warriors and extolling songs of bravery..Thanks a ton.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch, be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

Impact

"Its references to the red poppies that grew over the graves of fallen soldiers resulted in the remembrance poppy becoming one of the world's most recognized memorial symbols for soldiers who have died in conflict. The poem and poppy are prominent Remembrance Day symbols throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, particularly in Canada, where "In Flanders Fields" is one of the nation's best-known literary works. The poem also has wide exposure in the United States, where it is associated with Memorial Day."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Flanders_Fields

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/poems/poets/mccraearticle.htm

Dear Daryn,

I remember visiting the Canada Memorial and Canada Gate at London. The poem reminds me of the monument. Maybe, I wasn't able to appreciate the monument in the same way back then, but the poem makes a connect - some people in flesh and bones - a doctor who is also a patriot - writing to his kinsfolk. Beautiful.

Dear Ankur,

Thank you for your question,for your wonderful poem.My students learned the thoughts and biography by M.Gandhi (we participated in the competition,devoted to the wisdom of M.Gandhi in America),and we listened to and discussed "I have a dream".Thank you,dear Nicholas, dear Daryn."Red poppies are the bitter memory of Earth".I'd like to cite the amazing quatations of the epic poems,offered by our dear Ljubomir."The ballads of Serbia occupy the highest position in the ballad literature of Europe"J.Grimm."One land only but two masters. A single people who are doubly taxed"V.Karadzic."Peace,peace to all who wander"J.Matthias."A field like no other/Heaven above it/Heaven below"V.Popa."Oh,my bird,or my deer grey falcon/,How do you feel with  your wing torn out?/"I'm feeling with my wing torn out/Like a brother one without the other"T.Judah.It reminds me "The Lay of Igor's Raid"(Old Slavic epos), or "The Song of Roland",or "Nibelungenlied",or "Cantar de Mio Cid"Slavic epos is devoted to the unsuccessful campaign of Russian princes (knyazya) to Polovtsian khans, the princes' feud, the successful battles in the ancient times (1185)."The present sorrows,moans of Kiev and scourge of Chernigov are because of conflicts of the young princes for another's property,their imprudence and rebellions"-the author writes.It's a calling for revenge for Igor's offense."God doesn't abandon a righteous and holy human being in the hands of sinners".I like "The Lay of Igor's Campaign"in the translation of Nabokov. http://artyx.ru/books/item/f00/s00/z0000019/st030.shtmlhttps://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3,_%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD_%D0%9B%D1%8E%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80http://fotokto.ru/photo/view/2906592.html

The Song of Igor's Campaign, Igor son of Svyatoslav and grandson of Oleg в английском варианте В.В. Набоковаhttps://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE_%D0%BE_%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BA%D1%83_%D0%98%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B5http://slovoopolku.ru/translation_nabokov/

Перевод на английский язык В.В. Набокова

Exordium

Might it not become us, brothers,

to begin in the diction of yore

the stern tale

of the compaign of Igor

Igor son of Svyatoslav?

Let us, however,

begin this song

in keeping with the happenings

of these times

and no! with the contriving of Boyan.

For he, vatic Boyan,

if he want to make a laud for one,

ranged in thought

[like the nightingale] over the tree;

like the gray wolf

across land;

like the smoky eagle

up to the clouds.

For as he recalled, said he,

the feuds of initial times,

"He set ten falcons

upon a flock of swans,

and the one first overtaken,

sang a song first" —

to Yaroslav of yore,

and to brave Mstislav

who stew Rededya

before the Kasog troops,

and to fair Roman

son of Svyatoslav.

To be sure, brothers,

Boyan did not [really]

set ten falcons

upon a flock of swans:

his own vatic fingers

he laid on the live strings,

which then twanged out by themselves

a paean to princes

"The weeping of Yaroslavna"1881,V.Perov

Borodin "Prince Igor"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cQ_iYf1ai8

Dear Irina,

Thanks a lot for the beautiful poem and the photographs. I believe that Russia is a nation that is close to the heart of each Indian of my age. The first books that I was narrated were equally as many Russian as Indian. I remember Alexander Raskin's 'When daddy was a little boy', 'Neznaika' by Nicolai Nosov and 'Tales of the Amber Sea'. I also remember books in my father's study - 'Glimpses of Soviet Rus', ' My Daghestan' and ' The Mother' amongst other books. I also remember Mikhael Gorbachev's visit to India and how my father introduced who he was as he told me about his concepts of Glasnost and Peristroika - 'He is the person who is not afraid of his people's criticisms just because he believes that they need a better life. He may not be considered a good leader, but will be considered an ambassador of peace and human rights in an increasingly inhuman world.'  Thanks for sharing the rich piece of literature from a country with rich literary heritage.

The poem "Kimi Shinitamou koto nakare" (君死にたまふことなかれ, Thou Shalt Not Die) made by Akiko Yosano (1878-1942) and addressed to her younger brother, was published during the height of the Russo-Japanese War. it was used as a mild form of anti-war protest, as the number of Japanese casualties from the bloody Siege of Port Arthur became public (quoted from the first link below). Though it did not have a revolutionary effect at that time, this poem has passed down the anti-war spirit to many people of the present day. The poem is rather long. So, I quote below only its first verse in the original Japanese and in Arthur Binard's English translation (quoted from the second link below).

君死にたまふことなかれ

ああをとうとよ、君を泣く

君死にたまふことなかれ、

末に生まれし君なれば

親のなさけはまさりしも、

親は刃をにぎらせて

人を殺せとをしへしや、

人を殺して死ねよとて

二十四までをそだてしや

…

Don't Lay Down Your Life

I cry for you, Brother.

Don't you dare lay down your life

You, the youngest child in our family,

thus cherished all the more.

Mother and Father didn't educate you

to wield weapons and to murder; they didn't

bring you up, to the age of twenty-four,

so that you could kill, or be killed yourself

…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akiko_Yosano

http://www.freeml.com/chance-forum/24312

Palestine & Algeria are twin Arabic countries. When the Algerian revolution was at its peak in the late 1950s & the early 1960s, this great poem was memorized by each student in the West Bank (including me) & we used to sing it each morning. It was so inspiring then & later on all governments in Algeria adopted it as national anthem until now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8mA4L4ZeA8

Dear Ankur,

Our countries are akin through the valuable spiritual traditions (it's an opinion of the ordinary people,for ex.our staff).Mutual thirst of Russia for India is eternal and innermost.Altay connects with the Himalaya."India draws us"-it has always been to our souls.Some Russian words are derived from the greatest Sanskrit.To Voronezh(Russian)poet Sidorov V.M.,"India is not a prose,but it's a POEM, a SONG for us"."The heart of India is responsive to reciprocity"."Galaxy connects our minds""Eternal mystery of Russia passes on its way to the Himalaya"."A lotus is dependent on the movements of soul"("Blue Mountains of Hindustan"("the multi-arm shadows of the ages").The first travelogue,devoted to far and mysterious India "Journey beyond Three Seas" (1468-1475) was written by Russian Tver merchant Afanasiy Nikitin in 1469! The spiritual wealth of Russia is in the consciousness of the best humanistic human beings of the national communities of Russia.I'm sure, the best intellectual and humanistic minds and hearts of the world are the foundation for peaceful relationship of  the folks on our Mother Earth."Atlants are holding the sky on their shoulders".http://teosophia.com/index-38.html

http://life-with-dream.org/afanasij-nikitin-i-indiya/http://teosophia.com/index-37.html

http://teosophia.com/index-37.html

Dear Nizar, 

A beautiful anthem - I have heard that algeria is also known as maghrib,  meaning evening, why is it so?  

Dear Tatsuo, 

The change of mind is the largest parameter of success of a revolution. I remember watching a translated japanese series named Oshin when I was young.. Thanks for the beautiful verses. The land of rising sun is a source of knowlege and inspiration for all... 

Dear Ankur Sharma,

The poet Mammad Araz, poetry Stand up, Azerbaijan!

Regards, Shafagat

http://www.memmedaraz.az/?menu=642

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_ExKJdlwzs

Brazil is a peaceful country. And unfortunately, we almost do not read poetry.

Italy became a nation in 1860, after being split in a number of smaller kindoms, duchies and so forth for centuries. The socio-political movement that eventually led to it was called "risorgimento", between approx 1815 and 1860. Important contributions to literature in this respect were Alessandro Manzoni (his poems, mainly) and also Giuseppe Verdi's operas, whose libretto although never politically aligned were seen as alluding to nationalist ideals. There is much more of course, but I think that a brief look at "risorgimento" will give you plenty of detail.