#06 (Thyagaraja) Under A Thatched Roof Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

Ramabrahmam, his father
And Seethamma his mother
Led a pious-humble life
Under a thatched roof.

The thatched roof
Wasn’t leak proof,
As it allowed rain water
To seep in everywhere.

King Sarabhoji of Thanjavur,
Gave, as a gift, to his father,
A good house, well built,
On hearing his pitiable plight.

At first, he earnestly felt,
That he didn’t deserve it,
But he had to yield later
To the king’s kind pressure.

In the royal court,
The king gave a gift,
As an encouragement
To any deserving poet.

To the new house, they moved.
For some days, there they lived.
But later he gave it a Brahmin
Who had no house to live in.

Back to his leaking hut,
With all cheers, he went,
That showed well his spirit
Of sacrifice and contentment.

Yes, it was no wonder,
If this kind of a father
Was blessed with a son,
As a noble saintly person.

They were not so keen
On any wealth to earn,
Despite their talent
In the arts they had learnt.