Tibet

Having come from Tibet, Lamas keep wandering around These days, mumbling mantras Their herds of mules Go down into the gardens They do not eat marigold flowers How many flowers On one marigold plant, Papa? When it's the rainy season in Tibet, What season Do we have? When it's three o'clock In Tibet, What time Is it here? In Tibet Are there marigolds, Papa? Do lamas blow conch shells, Papa? Papa, Have you ever seen lamas Wrapped in blankets Running quickly In the darkness? When people die Lamas stand On all four sides of their graves And bow their heads They do not recite mantras. They whisper - tibbut tibbut tibbut tibbut tibbut tibbut tibbut And they cry all night long. Do lamas Cry just Like us, Papa? [Translated from Hindi by Robert A. Hueckstedt]