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About Author
D. B. Gurung was an inimitable poet, novelist and essayist from Nepal. He wrote in English Language. His essays speak with power and freshness about the turbulent history of Nepal that we have been experiencing over a decade. His notable book is the Echoes of the Himalayas
Summary
The poem ” Letter from the Foreign Grave” is written by D.B Gurung. It highlights the lamentations of a Gurkha soldier who is killed in foreign land. The speaker in the poem sends his mother massage not to weep for him regretting that he couldn’t do anything for her and his motherland.
Every year, hundreds of Nepalese young men join in foreign army. Nepalese youth started to join British Army after Anglo-Nepal war from 1814 to 1816. They are famous worldwide for their fearlessness in war and honesty. They scarce their enemies with ‘Khukuri’ (traditional Nepali knife). Gurkhas took part in many war fronts like Burma, Ladhakh, NEFA, Malaya, Kargil, Germany, Italy, Tunisia, Falkland, Kosovo, Afghanistan etc. Nepalese youths are also working in Indian Army and Singapore Police. Being a ‘Lahure’ (a foreign soldier) is a popular culture in some communities in Nepal. ‘Lahures’ enjoy better economic status and respect in societies. Many youths dream joining foreign army. However, there is dark side of being a ‘Lahure’. Family disintegration, home sickness, lack of self dignity, exploitations are some of dark sides of being ‘Lahure’.
The poem is a letter written by a dead son from the foreign grave to his mother in Nepal. It had depicted the reality of “Gorkhali” British soldier i the foreign land. It requests us not to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of other. Also the poem teaches us to live in total harmony in a community as everyone should do it after his/her death.
In the poem, the son asks his mother not to be sad in his absence because he is fine in the valley of shadows and he is free from all mundane (everyday routine),avarice (greed), misery and tears. He is resting now in peace and harmony forever. His flesh that was smooth, shiny and elegantly dressed body has turned into dust. Nothing remained except few bones. He still clearly remembers the painful and sorrowful moment of his departure when the black cloud over the valley and his dog “Pangrey’s whimpers”, wagging its tail, were clearly predicting that it was his final departure forever. He also remembers his mother’s eyes full of tears and blessings “to be always brave”. He says that he was deputed to different war fronts and had shown his bravery. Until a bullet pierced his heart, he was regarded as a hero.
Now his fate is ruined. It is confined within foreign grave because he is no more now. He is buried among his friends and his enemies. They have everything common there. They live in total harmony in a community of true brotherhood. They are the lost citizens of the world. He asks his mother not to weep for him because his war is over and he has no danger of gunshots and shells. He doesn’t have to go to the fronts of battlefield and shout the native expression “Ayo Gorkhali” which was used to frighten the enemy. The same word has snatched away lots of Gorkhalis’ lives. He says that his dreams, youth and life is sacrificed and the slow fat generals are making medals on young Gorkhalis’ blood.
Finally, he asks his mother to forgive him for he could not make up for her milk but he sacrificed his life for the cause of others in war of no glory (victory). He regrets his mother’s words “to be brave” while leaving his house are also kept. So, he requests her not to weep for him but ruminate (think about) for those who are still involved in wars.
सराशं नेपालीमा
‘लेटर फ्रॉम द फॉरेन ग्रेभ’ कविता डिबी गुरुङले लेखेका हुन् । यसले विदेशी भूमिमा मारिएका गोर्खा सैनिकको विलापलाई उजागर गरेको छ। कवितामा वक्ताले आफ्नी आमालाई आफ्नो र आफ्नो मातृभूमिको लागि केही गर्न नसकेकोमा पछुताउँदै आफ्नो लागि नरोऊ भनेर चिठी पठाउँछन्।
हरेक वर्ष सयौं नेपाली युवा विदेशी सेनामा भर्ती हुने गरेका छन् । नेपाली युवाहरू सन् १८१४ देखि १८१६ सम्मको एङ्ग्लो नेपाल युद्धपछि बेलायती सेनामा भर्ना हुन थाले। उनीहरू युद्धमा निडरता र इमान्दारिताका लागि विश्वभर प्रसिद्ध छन्। तिनीहरूले आफ्ना शत्रुहरूलाई ‘खुकुरी’ (परम्परागत नेपाली चक्कु) ले हराउँछन। गोर्खाहरूले बर्मा, लद्दाख, नेफा, मलाया, कारगिल, जर्मनी, इटाली, ट्युनिसिया, फकल्याण्ड, कोसोभो, अफगानिस्तान आदि धेरै युद्ध मोर्चाहरूमा भाग लिए। भारतीय सेना र सिंगापुर प्रहरीमा पनि नेपाली युवा कार्यरत छन् । ‘लाहुरे’ (विदेशी सिपाही) हुनु नेपालका केही समुदायहरूमा लोकप्रिय संस्कृति हो। ‘लाहुरे’ ले राम्रो आर्थिक हैसियत र समाजमा सम्मान पाउँछन्। विदेशी सेनामा भर्ना हुने धेरै युवाको सपना छ । तर, ‘लाहुरे’ हुनुको एउटा अँध्यारो पक्ष पनि छ । पारिवारिक विखण्डन, घरेलु रोग, आत्मसम्मानको अभाव, शोषण ‘लाहुरे’ हुनुका केही कालो पक्ष हुन् ।
यो कविता विदेशी चिहानबाट मरेका छोराले नेपालमा आफ्नी आमालाई लेखेको पत्र हो। यसमा ‘गोर्खाली’ बेलायती सैनिक र विदेशको यथार्थ चित्रण गरिएको थियो । यसले हामीलाई अरूको खातिर आफूलाई त्याग नगर्न आग्रह गर्दछ। साथै कविताले हामीलाई समुदायमा पूर्ण सदभावमा बाँच्न सिकाउँछ जुन सबैले आफ्नो मृत्यु पछि गर्नुपर्छ।
कवितामा छोराले आफ्नी आमालाई आफ्नो अनुपस्थितिमा दुःखी नहुन आग्रह गर्दछ किनभने ऊ छायाको (चिहान) मा ठीक छ र ऊ सबै सांसारिक लोभ , दुःख र आँसुबाट मुक्त छ। उहाँ अहिले शान्ति र सदभावमा सदाको लागि आराम गर्दै हुनुहुन्छ। चिल्लो, चम्किलो र सुन्दर लुगा लगाएको उनको शरीर धुलोमा परिणत भएको छ । केही हड्डीहरू बाहेक केही बाँकी रहेन। उपत्यकामा मडारिएको कालो बादल र आफ्नो पुच्छर हल्लाउँदै आफ्नो कुकुर “पाङ्ग्रे ले यो नै उसको अन्तिम प्रस्थान हो भनी स्पष्ट भविष्यवाणी गरिरहेको बेला उसले आफ्नो प्रस्थानको पीडादायी र दु:खदायी क्षणलाई अझै पनि स्पष्ट रूपमा सम्झन्छ। उसले आफ्नी आमाको आँसु र “सधैं साहसी रहन” आशीर्वादले भरिएको आँखालाई सम्झन्छ। विभिन्न युद्ध मोर्चामा खटिएको र आफ्नो बहादुरी देखाएको उनी बताउँछन् । उनको मुटुमा गोली नछोडुन्जेल उनलाई हिरो मानिन्थ्यो ।
अहिले उसको भाग्य खत्तम भयो । यो विदेशी चिहान भित्र सीमित छ किनभने यो अब छैन। उहाँ आफ्ना मित्रहरू र उहाँका शत्रुहरूका बीचमा गाडिनुभयो। तिनीहरूसँग त्यहाँ सबै कुरा समान छन्। तिनीहरू साँचो भाइचाराको समुदायमा पूर्ण सदभावमा बस्छन्। तिनीहरू संसारका हराएको नागरिक हुन्। उसले आफ्नी आमालाई उसको लागि नरोउन आग्रह गर्छ किनभने उसको युद्ध सकिएको छ र उसलाई बन्दुक र गोलाको कुनै खतरा छैन। उसले रणभूमिको मोर्चामा गएर शत्रुलाई डराउन प्रयोग गरिएको स्वदेशी अभिव्यक्ति “आयो गोर्खाली” भनेर चिच्याउनु पर्दैन। एउटै शब्दले धेरै गोर्खालीको जीवन खोस्यो । आफ्नो सपना, जवानी र जीवनको बलिदान दिएर ढिलो मोटा सेनापतिले युवा गोर्खालीको रगतमा पदक बनाइरहेको उनको भनाइ छ ।
अन्तमा, उसले आफ्नी आमासँग माफी मागेको छ किनभने उसले आफ्नो दूधको कर्ज चुकाउन सकेन तर उसले युद्धमा अरूको लागि आफ्नो जीवन त्याग गर्यो। घरबाट निस्कने बेलामा आमाको “साहसी हुन” भन्ने शब्दको नि पछुटो लाग्छ। त्यसैने उसले आमालाई आफ्नो लागि नरुन तर युद्धमा संलग्न जीवित आर्मीको लागि सोच्न अनुरोध गर्दछ ।
Answer the following questions.
a) Where is the son at this moment and where is his mother?
= The son is in the grave in the foreign land which is very far away from his mother-land but the mother is at home at this moment.
b) Why is the son free from all misery and tears?
= As the son has been already killed in the battle and buried in the grave, he is having rest at peace. He doesn’t have any greed to earn money. Therefore, he is free from all miseries, greed and tears.
c) What is the son’s present fate?
= The son’s present fate has been already ruined as he was killed in the battle.
d) What was the last moment like when the son had to bid farewell?
= The last moment when the son had to bid farewell was full of sadness. Everything was sad such as the ravines. His dog Pangrey was impatient and wagging its tail nervously. The mother’s eyes were filled with tears and she was controlling herself pressing the two lips against each other.
e) What does the son remember vividly even today?
= The son vividly remembers the moment when he had bid farewell. The valley was full of sadness. Even his dog Pangrey’s condition is fresh in his memory upto now. His mother’s eyes were filled with tears. He vividly remembers these thing even today.
f) Even his Pargrey could predict the son’s future. What did he know?
= Even his Pargery could predict the son’s future. He knew that his master would not come back again; it was his last farewell.
g) What were the last words of blessing the young man’s mother spoke?
= The young man’s mother blessed her son speaking the last words ‘to be always brave’
h) Name the different war fronts that the young man was deputed to.
= The names of the different war fronts that the young man was deputed (6) to are Burma, Ladakh, Nefa, Malaya, Kargil, Germany, Italy, Tunisia, Falkland and Kosovo.
i) Where is the young man lying today?
= The young man is lying buried among his friends and enemies in the graveland of a foreign country.
j) Why does the young man tell his mother ‘Weep not for me, my mother’?
=The young man tells his mother ‘weep not for me, my mother’ because his war is over and he doesn’t need to worry the gunshots and shells. This is because he has already been killed.
k) What is the son regretting for now?
= The son is regretting for his inability to make up for the mother’s milk during his life-time. And he is also regretting for his death having no glory.
l) What is the last message that the young man wants to write to his mother in this letter?
= The last message that the young man wants to write to his mother in this letter is that the youths who are living now have to think deeply taking the lesson from the past as they are likely to be killed in the countries if they join the foreign armies.
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