Land of Milk and Honey

SUBRAHMANYA BHARATI
(Extracted from Panchali Sabadam and rendered into English by K. C. Kamaliah.)

A country this is with many mountains
Crowned with summits of blue;
A country this is full of rivers flowing
With water nectar-like;
Of cool groves and gardens
Packed with trees fruit laden;
Its soil so fertile, wet or dry,
Can save all mankind from hunger.
Its people live like gods on earth
Eating cream, fresh ghee and honey.

Gracefully swans float and glide
Amid the golden lotuses.
Bees buzz, parrots prattle, koils sing,
Filling the ears with sweetness.
Soft Southern breezes wafting fragrance,
Maidens, smooth shouldered and bedecked with gold,
As they stroll on lofty terraces.
A country this is that makes
Their captivating eye hover over there,
A source of delight to their lovers.

A country this is
Made rich and splendid,
By great virtue and great industry.
A country this is
Where women like damsels
Dazzle the beholder’s eyes;
Where valour, wisdom, penance and learning
And sacrifice abound;
Where theft and meanness are unknown.
A country this is
Shining like a luminous diamond
On Earth’s crown of antiquity.