HYACINTH'S WAY BY ZAWGYI

Hyacinth's Way (1)

THIS IS YOUR WAY

Ma Beda wearing the sapphire flower,
So dainty is she, traversing up and down with the flow,
In the tidal creek on the way of the Beda,
All in a row.

Oh! friend reed-piper,
Ma Beda, all fresh and blue prepares to approach the shore,
The beauteous jasmine, the clean white flower
On the shore, a childhood acquintane of yore
With her retinue of butterflies, and to where she happily stays,
How she wnts to run and meet, she says.

Your kindness in wanting to meet,
Because 'tis is a yearning song of love from childhood years,
Is so cool and sweet;
The butterfly carries the nectar, and jasmine is not free either
With the flower blooming and gay,
This tidal way of the hyacinth, is your way.

Oh! friend reed-piper,
Ma Beda, all fresh and blue prepares to approach the shore.
At that bend, the lover of Koyin Phe-his dear,
The maiden behaving jin an enchanting manner;
In the hand of the maiden, Miss Beda says
She likes to look at her secretive loving face in a smilling way.

Your sympathy in wanting to peep,
Because 'tis a pathetic lovable song to hear,
Is so cool and sweet;
Lovingly at heart to the blue coloured dear,
What if the maiden should unconsciously crush her?
With the flower blooming and gay,
This tidal way of the hyacinth, is your way.

Oh! friend reed-piper,
Ma Beda, all fresh and blue prepares to approah the shore;
The belts from the tiered and ornamented finial of the pagoda,
From the open field chimes sweetly as before,
The sun is down, with colours brown
With Nivirna in the mind, wishes to pay
A visit there, she says.

Your benevolence in wanting to pay a visit, humble and meek
Because 'tis a song that expresses sufferings tires,
Is so cool and sweet;
Aim and wish resolutely for the escape from endless birth's quagmire,
With the flower blooming and gay,
This tidal way of the hyacinth, is your way.

The waters of the creek are fully abundant,
And the south winds gently enter,
with sails so magnificent,
To reach the goal, dear flower
Make an effort and endeavour.

Zawgyi
(University of Rangoon Annual Magazine, 1957-1959)


NOTE
Ma Beda: Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) is called "Beda" in Burmese. It grows in the deltaic creeks and streams, floating up and down wjith the ebb and rise of the tide. The poet metaphorically uses the word "Ma Beda" meaning "Miss Beda", in the whole series of his poems. He compares the hyacinth to a girl.

Koyin Phe: A young novice Buddhist monk is called "Koyin" in Burmese. A youth who had left his novice monkhood is still called Koyin, thus Koyin Phe is "Young Mister Phe".

Nivirna: The goal of all Buddhists, where life and death is extinct.

Reed-piper: The peasant who plays a reed pipe.

Water hyacinth

REFERENCE 
Hyacinth Way, Transcomposed by Ah-May Thar
First Edition, August, 1997
Myawaddy Publishing House, Yangon(Rangoon).

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF ZAWGYI

Zawgyi (12 April 1907-26 September 1990) was born in Phyapon township, Irrawaddy Division, Burma(Myanmar). Sayar Zawgyi, real name U Thein Han was a distinguished and leading Burmese poet, author, literary historian, critic, scholar and academic. He was one of the leaders of the Khit San movement in Burmese Literature searching new style and content before the Second World War, along with Theippan Maung Wa, New Soe and Min Thu Wun. His Khit San poetry, Padauk Pan (Padauk flower), was published in Hantha Kyemon pamphlet. His most memorable work was a play titled Maha Hsan Gyinthu, which was published in 1934. His most famous poem was Beda Lan (The Hyacinth's Way) that traces a journey life's ups and downs, published in 1963.

Zawgyi was educated at the Myoma National High School in Rangoon. He went to the University of Rangoon, passed the intermediate level with credits in Burmese and won the "The Doe Aung" prize. After graduating with a B.A. in 1929, majoring in Burmese Literature, English Literature, Oriental and Far East History, Zawgyi became a tutor in the Burmese Department at the University of Rangoon in 1931. Zawgyi returned to the Myoma School to teach until 1934. After achieving the M.A. degree from the Rangoon University in 1936, he became a tutor in Burmese at the Mandalay Intermediate college until 1938. Then he went to England to study at the University of London and then at the University of Dublin for the Diploma in Library Science.