Lori/Lullaby
Calm and cool is the night
Lie down, my little one!
It’s time for sweet slumber
And sweeter things to remember
Let me take you my darling
To a land of dreams and daring
The cradle of arts and crafts
The charming realm of Kalidas
With Sakunthala and peacocks
To the seat of wisdom where
Vyasa and yogis wrote vedas and epics
See there, my little one
Kings and queens on stately stallions
Sivaji and Jhansi fighting for freedom
Look, my sweetheart,
Gloriuos civilisation unearthed
In Indus Valley, Keeladi
And even under the sea
Find ancient temples of grandeur
From the Himalayas to Kanyakumari
From Kasi to Kancheepuram;
Palaces of pomp and splendour
Places of awe and wonder
In Agra, Jaipur and Madurai
The royal homes they were
Of Moghuls, Nawabs and Nayaks.
To relax are the backwaters of Kerala
Or the beaches of Goa and Andaman.
Magnificent hills and valleys
Grand rivers and lakes do make
India a paradise on earth abounding in
Sweet sights and scents of gardens
Of Delhi, Bangalore and Ooty
Fragrant champak and jasmine,
Lovely lotus and lily;
Juicy fruits of Kashmir,
Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh;
Graceful gazelles and tigers,
Majestic elephants and hippos
In wild jungles of Sundarbans
And the western ghats.
Look, my little one,
Flourishing factories making
Pins and watches
Guns and matchsticks
Cars, trains and planes
Kitchenware and rockets.
A country as big as a continent
With deep sea on three sides
And mighty Himalayan mountain
As the fourth natural boundary,
With people of varied culture,
History and background
Alike the diverse colurs
Of the spectacular rainbow
Living in serene hamlets
And staggering metro cities
Live in peace and harmony
Linked well with wide
Roads, railways and airports.
Be proud, my little one,
Of our motherland,
An emerging superpower,
A graceful blend of
Ancient glory and
Stunning modernity,
Culture and knowledge,
Tolerance and humanity.
Sleep in peace, my darling,
In its lap of love and luxury!
