By Basundhara Dahal
Oh, Teesta, Queen of the hills,
Your waters, once crystal clear, now run muddy and slow,
In days of yore, you did flow
With grace, your waters, like fireflies at night, did aglow
You’ve seen the rise and fall of times,
In fact, who has witnessed better?
The history of the people of the region than you.
You carved your path through mountains steep,
All the way from the Tso Lhamo Glacier
And brought life and nourishment to the valleys deep.
In the past, you flowed with vigor and with pride
And all who lived by your side,
Did bask in your beauty, paid their obeisance to you
And did thrive in the shade of your gentle tide.
Your banks are lined with trees and shrubs so tall
That brings life to the parched air all through the year, until fall.
The monkeys, with a twinkle in their eyes, play and frolic with glee
Filling the region with their merriment and bringing joy to all who sees.
But now, alas! the Teesta’s gone,
And in its place, a mere trickle is shown.
You were once a force, wild and free,
But now, you are shackled, your spirit doth flee.
Your source in the high Himalayas, pious, unadulterated and clean,
But downstream in the valleys, a different tale is seen.
The destruction we’ve caused, humanity’s shame,
Pollution and obstruction, your heart aflame
The factories, dams, mines and buildings, they all conspire,
To choke your life, and leave you tired.
The forests you nourish, now wither away,
The fish you sustain, now swim in decay,
The people you feed, now suffer and weep,
Their future uncertain, their hope denied.
The once-proud river has lost its might
And with it, the land’s delight.
Your waters that once gave life, now bring death,
Your beauty now scarred, your soul in breath,
The valleys now lie dry and still
The mountains stand, their grandeur chill
The people bemoan, their hearts are sore
For the Teesta, they’ll never see more
Oh, Teesta, River of sorrow and woe,
We must listen to your lament, and know,
That our actions, we must change,
To save you, our river, our pride, our range.
I know for certain that you remember the day, the third of October 2023.
When the glacial lake burst and broke the dam, your waters did roar,
You raged and you swelled, with a power so great,
And the lives of the innocent, you did devour.
In the depths of your soul, a heavy weight you do bear,
For the lives that you took in the flood so fair.
The cries of the ones who were swept away,
Must have echoed through you, night and day.
Oh! How you wish, you could turn back time,
And spare the lives, that were lost in your prime,
But alas! You were helpless, a force so strong,
That endured for far too long.
You tried but could not stop, the flood that did belong.
I definitely know that now you flow on, with a heavy heart,
And you pray to the skies, to set you apart,
From the destruction, that you have wrought,
And to give you peace, from the guilt that you have brought.
Oh! The sorrow that you must have felt,
Your heart must have ached
As you flow through the valleys, your waters do break.
Oh humanity, heed my words, you pray,
Yet again to the people of the region
“To be mindful of the river, as you live and play,
To listen to the river’s voice, and heed my gentle call,
To control your greed and selfishness, before it’s too late, after all”.
The damage we’ve done, we cannot undo,
But we can learn, and start anew.
For you are the river Teesta, glorious, wild and free,
But also, a force, that can bring great misery.