HYACINTH'S WAY BY ZAWGYI

Hyacinth's Way (10)

STILL WEARING THE FLOWER

At the foot of the mudflats, bluish brown
Riding the waves and tossed around,
Beda floats, moving up and down.

Floating down the water's, not at ease,
With a surfing coconut frond happened to meet,
The floater and the drifter, having an encounter
The frond drifting along with the tide,
Smites her square in the side.

After being smitten wasn't left alone in pain,
But a tidal wave drowned her again,
Sinking down under, doesn't re-appear
Till a wave surges up a couple of yards afar,
Together with it, surfaces the beauteous Ma Beda.

Surfacing again brings no relief,
Ducks and drake emerge out of a small inlet of the creek,
They number a hundred or two,
But Beda's all alone and solitary to be true;
Jostled and kicked with hundreds of feet,
While Beda just clenched her teeth,
The unsubdued and unyielding Beda fair,
Still keeps on wearing the flower in her hair.

Zawgyi

(University O-way Magazine, 1960)

Water hyacinth

HYACINTH'S WAY BY ZAWGYI

Hyacinth's Way (9)

THE MORAL PRINCIPLE OF RISING AND FALLING

You are so tired, friend Beda!
Says the melodious song of little reed-piper,
Having to float up and down stubbornly in this tidal area,
Along the Hyacinth's way, so tiresome to say
in the tidal creek's waters.

Oh! friend reed-piper,
When the sun rises, into the village the monk enters
On an alms round, and when the sun's at palm tree's height,
Returning back by the bridge outside, the village he now avoids
This a daily routine and sight.

Oh! friend reed-piper,
In a long narrow boat, the vendor couple dear,
In two heaps a variety of vegetables heaped well,
Entered one village after another trying to sel,
And on their return home, shrimp and fish are always seen,
This a daily routine and scene.

When the tide rises she's keen,
When the tide falls she's happily seen,
And down she goes all in a row,
Again and again, this moral of rising and falling with the tide;
Friend Beda, travelling with the tidal waters together,
Is it 'cause you have perceived this moral principle in sight?

Zawgyi

(University of Rangoon Annual Magazine, 1957-1959)

Water hyacinth