I heard of your beauty
Blushing daughter of the deities
Sheltered in your cave of chastity
No man dare explore.
A dark cascade rises from
your shoulders
But a tender lily
Should not be bruised by
hostile rocks.
Your slender hand will stretch
Towards the flower in the man's hand
For in his hand man hold
Unnamable delight.
And you became mine,
sweet maiden.
O be the mother of my sons!
But also the warm nest for
my love.
O children, may you be noble
May you possess the
strength of rocks
May you protect the weak
May you be suckled on knowledge
For the celestials beckon
And I must return.
The sons became men, royal in stature
Having wisdom gifted by the gods
They came to rule the misty hills;
To dwell in pinewood mansions
Where carpets of clouds
And cloaks of rain
Conserve the forests of the Khasi hills.
O mother, giver of life,
See your sons-the syiems.
"Pahsyntiew" by @indariwarjri based on the legend of Ka Pahsyntiew 🌹
Indari S. Warjri (Associate Professor) is Head of the Department of English, St. Mary's College, Shillong.
The Legend of Ka Pahsyntiew has been published in English, in the book Around the Hearth: Khasi Legends (Folktales of India) by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih. The book is published by Penguin Books.