The Lost Poetry of Sikh Poet Nunihal Singh Layal: Mahatma Gandhi

(Editor’s Note: This is part of an ongoing series to preserve on the Internet the “lost” poetry of Nunihal Singh Layal, the “Tradesman Poet,” who I met in New Delhi in 1974. Some poems contain his original introductions. I have a self-published book of his that is disintegrating and falling apart and over the next year or two I will run and preserve all of his poetry here. Joe Gandelman)

Mahatma Gandhi
by Naunihal Singh Layal

In childhood and youth, Gandhi was but an ordinary man.
And was victim to worldly attractions like an ordinary man,
Nobody could say the time he would become one day an extra-ordinary man,
A man of world fame, and name, and can be called “As father of Indian Nation” this ordinary man.

God wanted him to crown with political, spiritual and divine powers,
And so molded his heart, changed his destiny, by magic of His secret power.
Sense of his service for society, at large, was bestowed in him by Heavenly power,
Ahimsa, love for country and humanity was planted in his heart by this mighty power.

Gandhiji performed his duties successfully, what God wanted him to do.
He conquered by love, and non-violence, what sword could not conquer and do.
And thus was called Mahatma, (Superman) by all rich middle and poor too.
And when he died, name of God, (Hai Ram) no doubt was on his lips too.

Mahatma Gandhi, champion of freedom and of bloodless revolution died;
as martyr for the cause of a nation too.
Born as Hindu, for the cause of Muslim too,
Message of sympathies, and condolences,
swarmed like locusts from all countries including Pakistan too,
But sarcastic remark of Mr. Jinnah,
a Hindu leader, preacher of non-violence, killed by violence is not worth forgetting too,
So Hindus Muslims and others,
learn a lesson from his sacrifice, and let us become one from three or two,
Thus the scattered power in India,
Will become unparalleled in the world within a year or two.