Ningba Kairaba Tengtha, a collection of 17 Manipuri poems written by DL Kabui published by Mahabali Publication, second edition 2001, Price Rs 25/- page 68.

DL Kabui follows the traditional style of writing. His language is simple and transparent. Most of the poems are long. In his poem Nungshiba, the poet tries to find out what love is, where love is. After a minute examination he finds out and writes,

‘Leine nungshibadi thawaida
leine pamubasu thawaida
eigi thawaina nungshibadi
nangi thawaibu nungshibani
natte nangi hakchangbu’
(Love is in the soul
also the darling in the soul
what my soul loves
is your soul
not your body).

The poet bears the pang of separation, as reflected in Kaothokpiraba. He writes,

‘Ningba Kairaba nungshi torbanda
lepchari idom matam chuppada
pot-thade nangi wakhalda
mitkup amaphaoba’
(On the bank of forlorn love
standing still, alone
never take rest, mind is absorbed in you
never rest a while).

The poem entitled Nungshi Khudol is an epistle addressed to the poet’s lover. The poet expresses whatever he felt that he could not build any monument for his lover because of penury. Shaji amasung Shadanba is a narrative poem that tells the incident of killing a deer. One day a deer took shelter from the hunters in the poet’s place. The deer jumps upon the poet with his eyes full of tears. The poet hugged her dearly. After lying for a moment the deer stood up and ran away. The poet could not stop him. After a few seconds a gang of ten or twenty men were chasing the deer with weapons in their hands. The hunters asked the poet where the dear had run away. The poet replied that he knew nothing. But the marks of footstep showed the way where the deer had run away. They followed the marks and caught her. The poet requested them not to kill the deer. They never care two hoots and pierced the deer with the spear. The poet was alone and could not save him. He could do nothing for the deer except shedding tears. Love and humanity is the theme of this poem. Like Chaoba and Kamal, the pioneer romantic poets in Manipuri literature DL Kabui writes the description of nature galore. He has excelled himself in describing the night scene. The first few lines of his poem Panthou Yathang are:

‘Mamlaba ahingi tanglou leina thenglabada
Shakli khonjeng harouna naosum eeshei
Awa pot-tha tumkhun hulli taibangna’
(In darkness at the dead of night
the grasshopper sings the lullaby
The world takes rest and sleep).

Imagi Leichal a collection of Manipuri poems by DL Kabui, published by Mahabali Publication in 2002, Price Rs 50/- Page 107.

Most of the poems featured in this book were written at night. Some of the poems were read out in the Kavi Sammelans organized by Manipuri Literary Society and Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, Imphal. DL Kabui’s writing is seen more serious and far more better than those of his earlier poems. There are lots of poem addressed to motherland. Some of the poems are Imagi Leichal, Imagi Minglen, Imagi Phijon, Imagi Momon Maithong, Imagi Langdai, Imagi Mandir, Imagi Mandir, Imagi Mantra etc. Rhythmic pattern is maintained in almost all his poems. In his poem Imagi Ningai, the poet writes,

‘Minungshi chaobi imani
Achumba chatpi imani
Ashengba pambi imani
Themsi imagi ningai’
(So kind in my mother
So thankful is my mother
chastity, my mother likes
let’s console my weepy mother).

The poet reminds the heroes of Manipur who had sacrificed their lives for the sake of protecting the motherland in his poem Nonglei Nungshit. The storm in the poem symbolizes various attacks on the motherland from various angles. The poet was too upset and anxious to understand that the storm was too strong. He expected that the storm might be originated from the western world. In order to control the storm, the brave sons of Manipur had gone riding the palanquin of flowers. The idea behind the symbols is nice. Indeed this poem would be one of his finest poems. The book features a long poem entitled Kapui Salang Maiba. Kapui Salang Maiba was a warlord of the Kabui tribe in Manipur. Because of his supernatural power he was famous. The poet describes the activities of this warlord who was a very good friend of Puremba, father of Khamba, the legendary hero of the Manipuri folk epic Kamba-Thoibi. The poem is divided into episodes. Each episode has its own title. While telling the incidents related to Kabui Salang Maiba, the poet makes a narration of Khamba Thoibi episode in which the poor orphan Khamba and his elder sister Khamnu were looked after by Kabui Salang and his wife. The poet’s narrative skill is indeed praiseworthy. The poetic sense of DL Kabui has been developed much with the passage of time. Better poems are expected in future.