WHEN THE TREE CAUGHT FIRE

WHEN THE TREE CAUGHT FIRE

 When the tree caught fire

All the birds flew away

It was but natural that

They had to fly away

But one sparrow

While about to move,  turned back 

She nurtured a thought in her mind

She felt as if leaves of the tree are

Its thousand eyes

Looking at flying birds.

Nearby was a pond

Filling water from pond, in her beak

The sparrow started sprinkling the water

On that burning tree

A traveller passed by

The sparrow narrated to him

Fire of the tree will not be extinguished

By my beak-ful of water

Still, I think 

Whenever, history of the forest will be written

My name will be mentioned as one

Who put efforts to put off fire

And upcoming generations of these trees will say

When we catch fire

Most of scared birds fly away

But some return to us.

After listening to the sparrow

The traveller, too, started

Sprinkling water on the tree

One after another

More and more travellers 

Reached the spot

And thousands of birds too returned

Holding water in their beaks

It is known that fire of

Burning tree extinguished

During some next season

From the burnt trunk of the tree

Tender green leaves sprouted

As if green words scribbled on

Some black page.

That tree had become symbolic of hope

Like a lyric of gratitude and faith.

My mother had narrated me this episode

And told 

Never deem yourself as weak

Never deem yourself as alone

If ever, a tree catches fire

Fly once

But return

Holding water in your beak

Recalling that sparrow.

रुख नूं जद अग्ग लग्गी

कुल परिंदे उड़ गए

उड़ना ही सी

इक चिड़ी पर जांदी-जांदी मुड पई

उस दे मन विच सोच आई

रुख की सोचू विचारा

उस नूं लग्गा रुख दे पत्ते जिवें

होवण हज़ारां अक्खियां

उडदेयां पखेरुआं नू तकदी

कोल इक तालाब सी

उस दे जल चों भर के चुंज्जां

ओ चिड़ी, बल रहे रुख उत्ते

तरोंकन लग्ग पई

कोलों दी कोई मुसाफ़िर लंघेया

कहन लग्गी ओ चिड़ी

मेरियां चुंज्ज चुल्लियां दे नाल तां

अग्ग बलदे बिरख दी बुझनी नहीं

फेर वी पर सोचदी हां

जदों जंगल दा कदी

इतिहास लिक्खया जाएगा

नाम मेरा

अग्ग बुझान वालेयां विच आएगा

ते इन्हां रुक्खां दे वारिस

कहणगे, सानूं जद लगदी है अग्ग

सब परिंदे त्रबक के उड़दे ही नें

पर कई मुड़दे वी नें

गल सुणके चिड़ी दी

लग्ग पया राहगीर वी उस बिरख उत्ते

पाणी छट्न

होर ते इक होर ते इक होर राही आ गया

ते परिंदे वी हजारां परत आए

चुंज्जां दे विच नीर भरके

आखदे नें बुझ गई सी

अग्ग बलदे बिरख दी

ते किसे अगली बहार

रुख दे झुलसे तने चों

फुट आए सी हरे पत्ते महीन

जिस तरहां के हरे हरे होण अखर

किसे काले सफ़े ते

रुख ओ इक आस ते धरवास दी

शुकराने ते विश्वास दी नज़्म वरगा

हो गया सी

मेरी मां ने सुणाई सी एह कहाणी

ते केहा सी

एह कदी नां समझीं के लिस्सा हैं तूं

एह कदी ना सोचीं के कल्ला हैं तूं

रुख नूं जद अग्ग लग्गे

उड़ पवीं

पर मुड़ पवीं

चुंज्ज दे विच नीर भर के

उस चिड़ी नूं याद करके

-सुरजीत पातर

POEM ORIGINALLY COMPOSED IN PUNJABI BY LITERARY ICON, PADAM SHRI SURJIT PATR JI  

TRANSLATED BY ME INTO ENGLISH AS A DEDICATION TO HIS FOND MEMORY. 

MY HEARTIEST WISH IS THAT THIS  MOTIVATIONAL POEM, WITH INNATE DEPTH OF

 THOUGHT REACHES ON GLOBAL LEVEL, TRANSCENDING

 GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES.

RAJNI CHHABRA

MULTI-LINGUAL POETESS AND TRANSLATOR