The letter of a daughter to her dear daddy

The letter  of a daughter  to her dear daddy

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

( i found    this heart moving  poem in  tamil posted by Banumathy Kannan  and many others  .When I read it  my   eyes filled with tears. My thanks to the original author   , whoever he/she is )

You are  the  first lover   whom I loved,

But  do not ask me  when I started  lovng you , Daddy,

It would have happened   when you talked to me ,

Keeping  your hands caressing  the belly  of my mother.

Or it could have happened   when you  took me  in your hands ,

And fondled me   and kissed  me even before my umbilical chord  had not been taken out.

Though mummy told me  thousands of  pretty  stories   and made me sleep,

I never got   the pleasure that I got   when I slept on your   broad chest.

My eyes would be searching for you   when my  mummy gave me bath,

Possibly because you were  an expert  in giving bath  without hurting  my eyes.

I do not remember  my feet  ever touching    the floor ,

After I  learnt to walk  , for I   remember   sitting   always on your shoulders,

With the  anklets of my legs   touching  the buttons of your shirt,

I do  remember  Daddy, your celebrating saying , “The angel has  been,

Born as my daughter” , When I wore a  new petticoat with  little gems,

Why did   you  earn the  chidings of ma when you brought  me sweets,

From the shop  , though she had told , “even rice is not there  in the home  to cook.”

Except me who knows you better Daddy, at the time   when  you  forced  me ,

To sit on the school bench and moved away  with a tear filled   eyes?

When I stood    with great shyness , twiddling   the corner  of my Half Sari,

Possibly thinking that  not much time is left  for me to part from  you,

You wiped off  the rain of tears  from your eyes  with no one noticing it .

Though  I used to argue   and fight   with you always  , Oh Daddy,

I never ever  disobeyed    your words   any time  , Oh Daddy,

Without any   sense of shame   you used   to tell   very tall lies  ,

And praise  any  hoeless food   that  I tried    to cook  just for you, Daddy,

There  used  to be a love  at that time   even  in your lies  , Daddy,

If some one  asks me , whether  you who used  to fulfil,

All my desires just by   the move of my eyes is equal to god ,

I would say “No”,because  God gives boons  only if you have devotion,

But   you who protect me always  without any expectation is yourself a great boon.

Why is it that  you who  never used to be bothered   about even for a mountain like sorrow,

Used to  get broke  down completely  when you see a drop of tears in my   eyes?

You have never forced me to accept anything  that I did not like,

And you never   did hate  any of my likes

My only worry is that  once   you send me to my husband’s home,

There   would  be no one   who is left  there  to console  you , Oh daddy,

I would never   ever   compare    you with my husband  because I know,

You are the only male  of this entire world   who loves me completely,

I never   think that  I would be born once more  , Daddy,

But if that happens, please    give me   a boon,

To   become   once again  my father  , Oh daddy