Mamang Dai Poems: Mamang Dai is a great Indian poet and also a Journalist. Mamang Dai was born in the Himalayan region of Arunachal Pradesh, India so the sense of belonging to nature is reflected in her poetry Mamang Dai is also excellent at writing novels and compositions about the heritage and diversity of nature in the Indian mountains region.
Also Read: Sarojini Naidu Poems
1-Mamang Dai Poems: Orchids
The orchids have returned
bringing back with them
memories of old mountains
on a still afternoon
it was somewhere, some place
not very far,
but very long ago,
they return each year
as if they had never been away,
as if all the seasons
were a night’s dream
or as if the earth had turned
in sleep
and was there
again.
Explanation :
The poem “Orchids” revolves around the flower Orchids indicating the recursiveness of the seasons on the earth. The orchids are referred to as the message-bearer from our ancestors. Mamanag Dai presented the Orchids as the flow of time that goes on forever.
2- I Pray
I pray for the dark night
to roll its wild and infinite length
to roll down the ridges of time
from the warm core of the
heart of the earth,
a night
with a million stars.
Explanation :
The poem “I Pray” is an act of prayer. The poet is praying for a peaceful life despite all the problems of the world. The poems show a great connection between humans and spirituality. the tender tone of the poem leads the reader to explore inner thoughts and shows how important prayer is in human life.
3-Mamang Dai Poems: Return of the Lost Tribes
From the land of a thousand winters
the lost group return,
having crossed the burnt valleys
of no water
and climbed the black mountains
of no sound
they return
with spears of rainbow light
and tall proud feathers.
Explanation :
The poem “Return of the Lost Tribes” is an exciting poem. The poem revolves around the group who has come back to their hometown after a lot of struggle and The poem also gives a sense of joy after the group reunites and regains their culture and heritage.
4- Seagulls
A school of white seagulls
chattering
fluttering about a dark boat
far down below
far out at sea
one seagull
flies above
alone
its shadow
smooth and round
over water
and stone.
Explanation :
The poem “Seagulls” is famous because of its simplicity and quietness. The poem is based on a group of seagulls sitting on a dark boat under the vast sky. The poet describes the quietness as meditating and The poem inspires the readers to observe the simplicity of nature.
5-Mamang Dai Poems: The Other Side
I sit on the edge
of your sleep,
wait with you
on the other side,
where the dark
ends
and the light
begins.
Explanation :
The poem “The Other Side” is a self-observing poem. In the poem, the poet talks about life after death referring to the other side. The other side refers to the passage between both worlds. Mamang Dai’s simple language attracts readers to understand the topic easily.
6- Small Towns And The River
Small towns always remind me of death.
My hometown lies calmly amidst the trees,
it is always the same,
in summer or winter,
with the dust flying,
or the wind howling down the gorge.
Just the other day someone died.
In the dreadful silence we wept
looking at the sad wreath of tuberoses.
Life and death, life and death,
only the rituals are permanent.
The river has a soul.
In the summer it cuts through the land
like a torrent of grief. Sometimes,
sometimes, I think it holds its breath
seeking a land of fish and stars
The river has a soul.
It knows, stretching past the town,
from the first drop of rain to dry earth
and mist on the mountaintops,
the river knows
the immortality of water.
A shrine of happy pictures
marks the days of childhood.
Small towns grow with anxiety
for the future.
The dead are placed pointing west.
When the soul rises
it will walk into the golden east,
into the house of the sun.
In the cool bamboo,
restored in sunlight,
life matters, like this.
In small towns by the river
we all want to walk with the gods.
Explanation :
The poem “Small Towns And The River” shows the essence of living in a small town situated near a river. The poem shows vivid imagery describing the peaceful flow of the river, the quaint charm of the small town, and the interactions of the townsfolk with nature.
Is Mamang Dai an IPS?
Yes, Mamang Dai was selected as an IPS in 1979.
7- Floating Island
The sloping mountain is trying to reach me
stretching down into the water.
Dear one, don’t go away.
Rest, rest on my shoulder.
Deep in my centre a woman is asleep
pressing her cheek on my pillow
vivid with dreams.
The birds of summer are nesting in her breast.
Who knows which way the spinning current will spin.
Farewell, blind mountain, pasted on the sky,
when the day is folded away
my heart clings to the life of water.
Into the deep, into the sea green
navigating on a heartbeat,
the lilies are shooting up like swordfish
and the woman is laughing, laughing.
Explanation :
“Floating Island” is a poem that refers to a concept or imagery often found in Mamang Dai poems. It can symbolize different things in various contexts. it could represent a sense of detachment from reality, a dreamlike state, or a place of solitude and tranquility.
What is Mamang Dai famous for?
Mamang Dai is famous for her Poems and novels in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh.
8- No Dreams
The days are nothing.
Plant and foliage grow silently,
at night a star falls down,
a leopard leaves its footprints.
The wind blows into my eyes
sometimes it stirs my heart
to see the land so plain and beautiful.
If I sit very still
I think I can join the big mountains
in their speechless ardour.
Where no sun is visible
the hills are washed with light.
The river sings
love floats!
love floats!
But I have no dreams.
Explanations :
The poem explores the theme of f disillusionment, loss, or a sense of emptiness. the poem delves into the experience of someone who feels detached from their hopes and aspirations as if they no longer have the capacity to dream or imagine a better future.
Did Mamang Dai win the Padma Shri award?
Yes, Mamang Dai won the Padma Shri in 2011.
9- Remembrance
Why did we think it was trivial
that it would rain every summer,
that nights would be still with sleep
and that the green fern would uncurl
ceaselessly, by the roadside.
Why did we think survival was simple,
That river and field would stand forever
invulnerable, even to the dreams of strangers,
for we knew where the sun lay resting
in the folded silence of the hills.
This summer it rains more than ever.
The footfall of soldiers is drowned and scattered.
In the hidden exchange of news we hear
that weapons are multiplying in the forest.
The jungle is a big eater,
hiding terror in carnivorous green.
Why did we think gods would survive
deathless in memory,
in trees and stones and the sleep of babies;
now, when we close our eyes
and cease to believe, god dies.
For as long as remembrance
men stared at fire and water.
We dwell in the mountains and do not know
what the world hears about us.
Foragers for a destiny,
all the days of our lives
we stare at the outline of the hills,
lifting our eyes to the invincible sky.
Explanations :
“Remembrance” is a poem that explores the themes of memory, nostalgia, and reflection. The poem often delves into the recollection of past experiences, people, or places, evoking a deep sense of emotion and sentimentality.
When and Where Mamang Dai was born?
Mamang Dai was born on 23 February in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh.
10- Once Upon a Time in Pasighat
The house is unswept,
Never mind whoever comes
Bamboo leaves scraping the floor
My friends are of a different sort
If you see a fly
Do not lift your white hand, my love,
the cobweb in the corner
Will do the job
And if the town lights die
We’ll sit with the wind
Inside, outside
My friends are of a different sort
Each star has its soul
In your sleeping eyes, my love,
Dreams will rise and fall
Slowly coming to rest
When the house grows old
Tomorrow our children will know
Timelessness
With friends of their sort
Under the broad roof
Slanting beams of light
The beauty of bone
The universe on the walls.
Explanation :
The poem “Once Upon a Time in Pasighat” shows the dynamic form of nature of Pasighat, a town in Arunachal Pradesh, India. The poet Mamang Dai feels a sense of nostalgia and remembers the time when her town was untouched by modernization and the traditional way 0of living was still alive. Through vivid imagery and poignant language, Dai paints a picture of a place transformed by time, evoking a deep sense of bittersweet nostalgia and the inevitability of change.
What is the story written by Mamang Dai?
The Legends of Pensam is a story written by Manang Dai.
11- Hello Mountain
Every morning when the forest wakes
the canopy goes for a walk
hailing the sun, courting the wind,
discussing fruit and weather
The idle moss turns into velvet,
branches make signs,
Who says there is no time?
The only thing we are given is Time
Chattering life, high above
Babel of tree dwellers,
for a seed falling so far down
to rise again, Time is a given
a foothold for the hunger of a weed,
colour, scent, camouflage
and the grass that never sleeps
Shooting up to meet the gaze of the mountain
How are you, mountain?
Is everything alright, is the earth growing old,
birds flying away, trees falling?
Green Mountain wearing a rain hat
are there caves and bats in your bosom,
wedged in your folds a hum of voices celebrating
the anniversaries of birth and time —
Is a raindrop growing into a river,
a rock into a jewel?
Explanation:
The poem “Hello Mountain” is a narrative poem. The mountain itself is the narrator of the poem. The Mountain describes its life and its experience throughout. The mountain says that he can see the ferry lights that cross the big river below. As it is at a distance, the movement of the ferry appears as the “criss-crossing” light works on the river.
What is the poetic style of Mamanag Dai?
Embracing the beauty of nature is the poetic style of Mamanag Dai.
12- The Desire of Ink
They say a landscape drops from heaven tangled with possibilities.
And a summer sun that directs the perfect balance
between the moment and the word
when everything falls into place.
Your laughter opens the world, creating space.
We could have diverted boats and nets
and claimed the words of the rose,
entering a house, shy as a dove,
exchanging words to help each other survive.
But words are like water, flowing away.
These floating lines — the tender scars of witness on a page,
replacement words, shaped around a hope.
Right from the start we knew how it would be.
It was about truth, or the recognition of it,
but the journey of words proved nothing.
We neither gave up nor decided anything.
In another world someone holds my hand.
My life is changing every day.
Restless, becalmed, in open water
the plume of water rising to fly
is the surrender of letters into the Great Circle
beyond language and the desperation of words
where the world is scalloped like a shell,
and the waves are roaring, in no direction,
turning with the growth and bend of the sun.
Explanation :
The poem “Desire of Ink” shows a yearning for creative expression and the transformative power of words. It symbolizes the poet’s longing to capture fleeting thoughts, emotions, and experiences, and immortalize them on paper. The poem represents the thirst for storytelling, the need to document memories or the quest for permanence in a world of ephemeral moments.
What is the award-winning story of Mamang Dai?
“The Black Hill” is the award-winning story of Mamang Dai.
13- A Letter to My Son
Oh, how I wish I could hold you In my arms as I write this letter. I would tell you all the things I know But my words are so much less than better.
I want you to know that you are loved More than you will ever know. You are my light, my hope, my star And I will love you forever and a day.
I know that you will make great things In this world and I will be there to cheer you on. I will be your biggest fan and your most loyal supporter.
I love the way you make me laugh And the way you always know how to make me feel better. You are a special boy and I am so lucky to have you in my life.
I love you more than words can say. My dearest son, I love you.
Explanation :
The poem “Letter to My Son” is a heartfelt poem. In the poem, the poet addresses her son showing her love and hopes for him. She captures the universal sentiments of a parent’s unconditional love and desire for their child’s well-being. The poem reflects on the complexities of life, offering guidance and reassurance to her son as he navigates the challenges and uncertainties of the world.
What award did The Black Hill win?
The Balck Hill won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2017.
14- Of Rain and Ruin
The rain is on the roof, the rain Is on the window pane; The street lamp’s light is dim and gray, The night is cold and rainy.
The wind is sighing sadly round The house with a creaking sign, And from the churchyard, dark and deep, The owlet’s cry is heard.
Within, the fire is burning bright, The curtains are drawn close, And all things in the room seem warm And bright, and safe, and snug.
Without, the night is dark and wild, The wind is cold and raw, The rain is beating on the roof, And on the window-pane.
And I am sitting here alone, And thinking of the past, And of the days when I was young, And happy, and at rest.
And I am thinking of the time When I shall be no more, And when my soul shall pass away Into the silent shore.
And then I think of God, and hope That He will be my Friend, And that He will take me to His home When I have journeyed hence.
Explanation :
The poem “Of Rain and Ruin” shows the beauty of nature. The poem shows the power of nature and that it can destroy or nourish anything. The poem is a story about hope and resilience in the face of adversity. It is a story about the power of the human spirit to overcome even the most difficult challenges.
There are some of the best poems of Mamang Dai with explanations. Stay tuned for more updates and new pomes from different poets.
FAQs
- Who is Mamang Dai?
Mamang Dai was a renowned poet, novelist, and journalist from Arunachal Pradesh, India. - What are Mamang Dai’s most famous works?
“River Poem” and “The Balm of Tree” are the most famous Mamang Dai poems. - What theme do Mamang Dai’s poems explore?
Mamang Dai’s works often explore themes related to identity, heritage, nature, and the cultural diversity of the northeastern states of India.