Passing by a graveyard yesterday
I saw a man crying severely at one grave
As an act of sympathy I went to him and held his hand
and asked, ” What makes you cry so much, dear man.'
'Under this mound of sand lies a great person', said he
'Such a loving and caring mother was she
From childhood to manhood she loved me deep
Even though I deserted her in my youth
She had 1 eye due to which I hated her
When she visited my school my friends laughed at her
I was always mocked because of her
Hers coming to my school was embarrassing for me
I was so stupid, so unwise
When one day without thinking I cried
'Why can't you leave me and go away?
You are making my life tougher day by day! '
So bad was my treatment towards her
Till the time I was sure I could abandon her
To leave her for good
And stand on my own foot
I left her and went far away
I married the most striking lady
And never missed my dear mummy
Did not even call her on my marriage ceremony
Mummy continued weeping and crying
Just to get a glimpse of her only child
She learned about my marriage after three years
When I had had my own child of one year
She, after many enquires, found my house
And came to see me and my espoused
Oh! It was terrible to see her again
She was such a shame for my infant
I was so upset that, on her face, I slammed the door
This for her was a hurting blow
She wept and wept and went back home
And left all of us all alone
I and my family lived a happy life
While my mother, for me cried and cried
Years continue to pass by
I neither heard nor did I see her ever again
When all of a sudden she died
A busy person like me can’t go to her funeral”, I had cried
Few days later a letter arrived
It was from my mother
That she must have posted before she died
Contained in it was a horrible truth
The letter went like this
“Dear son of mine
Your horrible treatments I did not mind
I forgave you all the time…….
But there is something I hid from you my entire life
That is, during childhood when you lost an eye, I gave you mine.”
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem