Poem
Manju Kanchuli
IF
Had I not stumbled I would have fallenIf that small mistake had not been made
how mistaken my life would have been
To fathom my heart’s depths, how often
I would have been misled by the heartbeat of faraway
Had I not been swept aside by a rivulet
the rising tide would have drawn me under
If I hadn’t been grazed by the paws of a cat
I would have fallen into the mouth of a tiger
If I hadn’t stumbled in the base camp itself
I would have plummeted from 29,000 feet
If I hadn’t stumbled
a mishap would have marked me forever
If a small mistake had not been made
how wrong my life would have been
© Translation: 1998, Wayne Amtzis and Manju Kanchuli
From: TWO SISTERS
Publisher: Book Faith India, Delhi, 1998
From: TWO SISTERS
Publisher: Book Faith India, Delhi, 1998
IF
© 1997, Manju Kanchuli
From: Mero Jeevan, Mero Jagat
Publisher: Royal Nepal Academy, Kathmandu
From: Mero Jeevan, Mero Jagat
Publisher: Royal Nepal Academy, Kathmandu
Poems
Poems of Manju Kanchuli
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IF
Had I not stumbled I would have fallenIf that small mistake had not been made
how mistaken my life would have been
To fathom my heart’s depths, how often
I would have been misled by the heartbeat of faraway
Had I not been swept aside by a rivulet
the rising tide would have drawn me under
If I hadn’t been grazed by the paws of a cat
I would have fallen into the mouth of a tiger
If I hadn’t stumbled in the base camp itself
I would have plummeted from 29,000 feet
If I hadn’t stumbled
a mishap would have marked me forever
If a small mistake had not been made
how wrong my life would have been
© 1998, Wayne Amtzis and Manju Kanchuli
From: TWO SISTERS
Publisher: 1998, Book Faith India, Delhi
From: TWO SISTERS
Publisher: 1998, Book Faith India, Delhi
IF
Had I not stumbled I would have fallenIf that small mistake had not been made
how mistaken my life would have been
To fathom my heart’s depths, how often
I would have been misled by the heartbeat of faraway
Had I not been swept aside by a rivulet
the rising tide would have drawn me under
If I hadn’t been grazed by the paws of a cat
I would have fallen into the mouth of a tiger
If I hadn’t stumbled in the base camp itself
I would have plummeted from 29,000 feet
If I hadn’t stumbled
a mishap would have marked me forever
If a small mistake had not been made
how wrong my life would have been
© 1998, Wayne Amtzis and Manju Kanchuli
From: TWO SISTERS
Publisher: 1998, Book Faith India, Delhi
From: TWO SISTERS
Publisher: 1998, Book Faith India, Delhi
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