A morning walk and a folk song

                             A morning walk and a folk song*

 Once I was taking a morning walk in the serene and unpolluted environs of a village.

A little farther away, a lonely farmer was watering his paddy field by drawing water from a well using age-old manual method. Perhaps to avoid boredom, loneliness and fatigue or simply to keep himself entertained, he was singing aloud.  The song was in Tamil. He was repeatedly saying the same two lines:

 

On the tender bamboo leaf,

Asleep are a few dew drops

 

Then he took a break to have his breakfast – kanji. I was listening to the song. I was eager to know further lines of the folk song. I patiently waited for the farmer to come back. He came back and sang the two lines followed by the third line thus:

 

On the tender bamboo leaf,

Asleep are a few dew drops

Only to be devoured by the rising Sun!

 I felt immensely happy on hearing the last line; immersed in immeasurable happiness on the beautiful poetry, music and the atmosphere and fully satisfied, I walked back to my residence.

 Here is the Tamil Poem for those interested:

 

மூங்கில் இலை மேலே 

தூங்கும் பனி நீரை 

வாங்கும் கதிரோனே 

 

 

*Based on an old story I read in my primary class. Replaced the listener with myself, for a change!!