Selected Poems

O My darling Mother! Great is thy love for me And my love for thee Our love will last as long As the world will last. Thou hast put me on earth Expecting great things from me, And great was thy joy When I was born. When I am happy, Thou art happy too. But when I am sad, Thy heart seems to cry, too. Thou art my heart, O My darling Mother! As thou art still alive, I must imagine that My light is still shining on earth. When the light Will be gone, The world will be dark, Dull and dim painted With the colours of death. Blessed art thou among women, O My darling Mother! Being the fairest in the world, Thy face is like that of an angel And thy heart is like that Of Virgin Mary.

O Mauritius, as soon as I hear thy name, My heart within me leaps for joy. Hold me in thy arms Just as a husband Holds his wife in his arms. O Mauritius, With the sun in the blue sky, And with the yellow sand near the sea, Thou art a sight to see. Thou art attractive And indeed, I am sick of thee. I want to see thy beauty As thou art my mother country. I can even defend thy pride And thy beauty with a gun If needs be.

Thou art a brave man, Dad. The world knows that Thou art not at all bad. Thou hast worked hard To bring me up, And great will be thy reward In Heaven. Thou usedst to wake me up Every morning, And to kiss me good night Every evening. Tender were thy smiles When thou usedst To take me in thy arms In our house of bricks. I thank thee For all thou hast done for me. Though thou wilt soon die, Yet thy good deeds Will never die.

To some life is a bed of roses, To some it is not. God told Man, "With thy sweat, Thou wilt earn thy bread." Life is a struggle, And to survive One has to struggle. We find in this world A continuous struggle For securing employment. In this struggle, Only the fittest survive And are provided With suitable occupations. Those who fail In this battle of life Have to drag on A weary existence. Want of occupation Means unemployment, And unemployment Brings about Poverty, Delinquency, Mental illness, Filth, And starvation.

Love for one's country Is nothing but a vain Sentiment When it is not Translated into action. It is our duty Not only to love Our country, But also to see That we have done something For bettering it. Patriotism, With all its rosy hues, Requires Extraordinary powers, Intellectual And moral. Bigoted patriotism Is a perpetual source Of war. True patriotism Is not based On hatred, And it does not Supersede love For Humanity.

"La charité commence par soi-même" L'homme a un coeur Dont la charité est une arme Qui le mène à penser Favorablement aux autres Et de faire du bien. Sans la charité, La société Ne peut pas exister. La charité Fait naître Des qualités nobles Chez l'homme, Et apporte La paix Et l'unité Sur la terre.

La solitude a des charmes. Elle ennoblit Et purifie l'esprit. Les poètes Et les sages Aiment la solitude. Ils y trouvent La joie Et l'inspiration. Mais malgré ses charmes, La solitude Est à la fois Cruelle Et pénible. L'homme a besoin d'amis Pour échanger Des idées Et des émotions.