A MONGOLIAN
MOTHER’S FEELING
Most Mongolian mothers breast feed
their children until they are at least two years old, some continue until the
child is almost five years old – this depends on the child’s needs and the
mother’s ability to produce milk. This connection between mother and child builds
a strong bond that follows them throughout their life. As the child grows up
the mother educates them indirectly by the child watching what she does and mimicking
her – the mother encourages this behavior and the bond grows stronger still. At
night time from the time the child is an infant the mother hums and sings
traditional lullaby’s – the child falls
to sleep hearing their mother’s voice which quickly relaxes them into slumber.
Most Mongolian mothers pray to God every morning by sprinkling milk or milk tea
to the four directions and asking for their child’s health and happiness.
P. Badarch is a famous Mongolian
Poet – one of his most important and famous works was a poem about his Mother –
in an interview about this poem he expressed how strongly he understood the
connection with his mother and how it was part of his soul.
He wrote the poem“ Mother’s Emotion“ . That poem is very
popular with the Mongolian people because of how it touches and pulls their heart
strings. Most people upon hearing or
reading the poem have silent tears coursing down their cheeks as it pulls up
memories of their mother.
P. Badarch ; -“ My poem was about my mother’s
feeling , she was a Mongolian herder’s wife. I will
never forget my childhood, I remember going with my mother to pick up dried cow
droppings called “Argal” which is a natural fuel that people living on the
steppes use as there is almost no wood to be used for fuel.
P. Badarch
Mother’s
emotion
Your Mom, dreamt that her son died
In 80 years never before had dreamt that nightmare
While milking the cows, worry is in my mind
My heart and mind throb
Fretful thoughts replay in my mind, thinking about my son
Charming poetry written by my son, reportedly, people
reading
Clever songs written by my son, reportedly, I
hear from the radio
My son is living good, reportedly told to me
My son is in trouble; I am told by people’s
gossip
Doesn’t matter to me
Doesn’t matter to me
You’re alive that makes mom proud
Mom is missing you very
much
I became distracted by thinking
of you; I switched my basket and scooper
Making the mistake of picking
up the rocks for fuel instead of dry manure
Due to my son’s absence
Looking in the distance,
I see a camel sized cloud, in my mind maybe it will freeze
Pink horizon sky, maybe night
will crack from day
Still he does not come to
Mom
I hear of other people’s son coming to their Mom
They are celebrating in the village
My son is in jail
This heart breaking news is told to me
Oh, so why can’t I defend my son’s side
Is he hungry? I worry and discreetly cry inside
In youth my son was bright like an ember
This single life of mine, my son was like a
leaf breaking free
Treasure in my arms, my wishes came to true
when he was born
I imagined it like absorbing luck from the
ground
Dreaming about finding my only son
If you’re in trouble my
son, don’t to mess around come to Mom
If you’re just hanging
around my son, don’t be there just come to Mom
In somebody’s eye my son
is like mold on a rock, Old & gray is my son
In your mom’s eye you are
still wrapped in a blanket, my baby
Come to Mom
Calling out for you
Scaring you with soon I will die
Please come to Mom my son
Smart is my baby hurai hurai hurai * - to make
exclamations of pity
Like a baby colt come to Mom gurii gurii * -to make
exclamations of pity
This poem is about
a Mother missing her son very much and worrying about her son’s life; she looks
into distance, waiting for son for a long time. This poem is short synopsis of
the mother’s feelings throughout time, from her heart. Her son lives in the
capital city and he wrote this poem to express how his mother must have felt.
“...Араг, савар хоёрыг зөрүүлэн байж би хүүгээ
бодлоо
Аргал чулуу хоёрыг
андууран байж хүүгээ саналаа...”
“I became distracted by
thinking of you; I switched my basket and scooper
Making the mistake of picking up the rocks for fuel instead of
dry manure”
Mongolian herders often
had to pick up manure to fuel the fire in their homes. She missed her son, Badarch,
and was busy thinking of him so she accidently mixed up her basket and her scooper;
she also mistakenly picked up rocks instead of dry manure due to not paying
attention because she was thinking about her son.
Badarch said that you can
translate poetry word for words, and that you could also explain the poem’s
meaning. But you can’t translate the Mongolian people’s feelings in their heart.
I agree with him on that; everybody’s mind and imagination is different. How
one person understands and the way their brain pictures it differs from how
other people’s minds will.
Also Badarch said; He always
remembers the famous Demchigdorj’s book “Royalty thesaurus dictionary”. In the dictionary it stated “If a
child is living far away the Mother’s heart sometimes goes with her child. If the
child is feeling bad, in the long distant the Mother can feel it; and the mother
will feel sick from worry. If the child living well, the mother feels has
energy and feels well. A mother and her child’s heart can never disconnect.
When born the umbilical cord is cut but an emotional umbilical cord can never
be cut. An intrinsic gold cord is
connected between their hearts. The mothers
spirit will also look over the child
from Heaven.”
Badarch also said: I always miss my
mom very much. True from my heart I wrote
this poem so it will also touch other people’s hearts. This poem was in my mind and in my heart I felt
my Mother. I got awards and had proud
days, but I also lost my job and had sad days.
I always believe my Mother is looking over me; this makes me feel good.
I remember at the President’s office I received the best author award; at that
time I felt my mom was with me. If my mom was here she would be so proud of me.
When I think of her I can’t hold back my tears and I instantly cry.
Authors Note: I also remember my
mom; she birthed me into this world and she helped me with my life. My mom was
a very talented and handy woman. She sewed and designed clothes; I started to
help her with that when I was in the 4th grade. She sewed coats,
dresses, hats, costumes and was very good at knitting; also at embroidery. She is why I also became a handy woman. I
always miss my mom; I also believe my
lovely mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, and my brothers are looking over me from
Heaven.
By.S.Uzmee3.30.2014
