Foster Mother Cow – i

Chongtham Ongbi Subadani Devi *

Ngangkhaleima wept biter tears
Revengeful her red eyes so bear
In the land of Great Bear
Puremba possessed in a fear!

Native land, the mother, so dear
Ngangkhaleima's land without fear
What be the cause of worry
Puremba's mind in fury!

Lifting the veil of feathery clouds
Glanced at the mortal ground
Puremba focused magnetic eyes
Foster mother, the cow, so dear
Butchered by the cruel neighbours
Like a city slughter house
At the fleshers' mercy.

Nostalgic the days it were
Ngangkha, the green mound so vast
In the herd of the cattle fear
Found Ngangkha so sweet in heart
Mighty is the destiny wide
Made a companion of life
Fraternity the cow herds
Ngangkha Leima soft corner for them!

Breastfeeding times that come
Deprived in the divine abode
Beloved in pain in heart
Puremba is an eyewitness.
It's not the end
Little Nongyai, the piece of heart
Destined by the Lord so might
Mother's warmth bye forlorn
Lived a life pulled alone
Cow is his mother's milk
Where are you my child
Worried the mother cow so dear!

Little child when you are
Separated from mother so dear
Sons and daughters without mothers
Foster by mother cow
Live life unto worldly pleasures
And lo! What the days are
People divorced national life
Like pigs that grunt and fight
Successor Ngangkhaleima the stout
Sons and daughters mighty ones
What a pity you are now
Incur the sin of matricide
With your tainted hands
Ngangkhaleima so touched in heart!

The divine land above
Free from all the worldly ties
Claims made by her so proud
Land of all peace and brotherhood
Hernative so love and dear
Ngangkhaleima in sheer contempt.
Oh! What a pity all you are
But she is in the divine land
Puremba is in tied hands.

**** Translated from the original Manipuri poem by Dr Ch Narendra Singh