ᰎᰬᰕᰦ ᰚᰦᰵᰌᰤᰬᰰ ᰣᰪᰰ ᰜᰤᰦᰵᰕᰧᰳ

ᰣᰦᰗᰩᰵ ᰀᰩᰵᰇᰬᰰᰆᰫᰠᰦ ᰣᰦᰓᰴ ᰜᰩᰮ

ᰍᰬ ᰕᰦᰚᰬᰯ ᰜᰤᰦᰵᰀᰦ

ᰣᰫᰵᰌᰶ ᰠᰛᰬᰜᰩᰮ ᰃᰨ ᰣᰧᰳᰍᰪ ᰌᰶᰌᰦ ᰓᰫ

᰻ ᰛᰪᰵᰉᰫ ᰻ ᰚᰦᰵᰍᰬ ᰀ᰷ᰥᰧᰠᰀ᰷ᰥᰦ ᰕᰨ ᰀᰠᰪᰠᰦ ᰣᰦᰓᰥᰤᰦᰵ


ᰀᰪᰵᰔᰶ ᰜᰩᰮ ᰃᰨ ᰇᰫᰯ ᰛᰪᰵᰌᰦᰡᰨ

ᰀᰠᰪ ᰣᰫᰵᰀᰩᰵ ᰍᰪᰰ ᰀᰠᰪᰮ ᰣᰦᰊᰩᰮ ᰙᰫᰭᰡᰨ

ᰛᰪᰵᰌᰦ ᰜᰪᰵ, ᰠᰌᰤᰬᰲ ᰃ᰷ᰥᰧᰭᰛᰬ ᰙᰴ

ᰝᰪᰚᰫ ᰌᰬᰱ ᰀᰠᰪ ᰌᰤᰬᰱᰊᰩᰮ ᰣᰦᰙᰪᰭ ᰉᰧᰶ

ᰠᰛᰬᰛᰬ ᰛᰩᰵᰠᰦ ᰣᰦᰝᰧᰳ ᰠᰪᰵ ᰣᰪᰰ ᰟᰮᰶᰍᰪᰰ ᰜᰧᰶ ᰌᰦ ᰕ.


ᰠᰦᰱᰜᰳᰶ ᰣᰪᰰ ᰃᰦᰳᰂᰨ ᰍᰪᰰ ᰕᰪᰛᰩ ᰠᰴᰛᰤᰬᰮ ᰕᰧᰭᰠᰦᰱ ᰕ

ᰣᰫᰵᰃ᰷ᰥᰨᰮ, ᰣᰫᰵᰌᰶ ᰟᰫᰵᰜᰳᰶ, ᰕᰦᰚᰧᰍᰧᰵᰶ , ᰣᰦᰡᰮᰶ ᰌᰤᰬᰰᰜᰤᰦᰵ ,ᰣᰪᰰ ᰡᰫ ᰕᰃᰨᰰ?

ᰣᰦᰛᰬ ᰕᰩ ᰎᰴ ᰋᰤᰪᰭᰓᰪ ᰃᰨ ᰞᰬᰰᰊᰩᰱ ᰣᰫᰯᰌᰧᰵᰶ ᰕ.


ᰊᰫᰍᰪᰰᰜᰦ ᰂᰩᰕᰫ ᰜᰤᰶ ᰕᰋᰪᰱ ᰕ

ᰣᰦᰛᰬ ᰙᰴᰓᰫ ᰛᰩᰮᰜᰳᰶ ᰔᰦᰳᰜᰤᰬᰯᰠᰦ

ᰣᰶ ᰌᰨ ᰃᰫᰛᰫᰵᰜᰦ, ᰣᰦᰃᰤᰦᰱᰕᰫ ᰙᰫᰊᰤᰬᰰᰜᰩᰮ ᰛᰤᰬᰮ ᰃᰤᰶᰃᰦᰳ ᰕ

ᰕᰪᰛᰩ ᰍᰪᰰ ᰡᰧᰶᰢᰦᰮ ᰃᰫᰛᰫᰵᰜᰦ ,ᰡᰫᰕᰦᰳᰍᰪ ᰕᰧᰭᰠᰦᰱ ᰢᰦᰮ ᰃᰩ?


ᰣᰦᰜᰴ ᰅᰭᰶ ᰀᰠᰪᰮ

ᰣᰦᰗᰩᰵᰓᰫ ᰣᰫᰵᰌᰶ ᰃᰨ ᰕᰪᰛᰩᰠᰦ ᰃᰦᰳᰂᰨ ᰍᰝᰦᰰ

ᰃᰨ ᰣᰦᰋᰤᰦᰭ ᰃᰦᰱᰓᰪ ᰌᰶᰌᰦ

ᰝᰪᰚᰫᰠᰦ ᰠᰋᰦᰜᰦ ᰕᰕᰩᰭᰓᰫ ᰠᰦᰱᰜᰳᰶᰛᰤᰬᰮ ᰔᰦᰳᰓᰦ

ᰣᰦᰛᰬ ᰙᰴᰓᰫᰠᰦ ᰕᰪᰛᰩ ᰠᰋᰦᰜᰦ ᰊᰃᰫᰮ ᰜᰤᰩᰭ ᰕᰅᰭᰶ ᰍᰬ

ᰠᰛᰬᰠᰦ ᰣᰦᰑᰦᰲ ᰃᰨ ᰣᰧᰭᰆᰦᰜᰦ ᰊᰩᰱᰢᰦᰮ

ᰣᰫᰵᰌᰶ ᰀ᰷ᰥᰧᰠᰀ᰷ᰥᰦ , ᰠᰛᰬ ᰋᰩᰵᰌᰤᰬᰕᰦᰳ ᰛᰪᰵᰌᰦ ᰡᰨ.


ᰃᰨ ᰇᰫᰯ ᰛᰪᰵᰌᰦ

ᰜᰩᰮ ᰣᰨᰛᰬ ᰛᰤᰦᰭᰜᰪᰵ ᰀᰦᰌᰨ ᰟᰮᰶ ᰙᰫᰭᰓᰪ

ᰡᰬᰰᰜᰦ ᰠᰊᰤᰬᰳ ᰇᰫᰯ ᰃᰨ ᰛᰪᰵᰌᰦ

ᰣᰨᰊᰤᰬᰳᰌᰨ ᰃᰨ ᰀᰠᰪ ᰋᰤᰦᰭᰊᰩ ᰑᰦᰳᰌᰦ ᰕ.

From pure almighty Kanchendzonga
In Ney-Mayal Lyang 
River from where I originate and flow down
‘Rungnyu’ or Teesta is my name

I flow freely rolling down from the Himalayas
My tributaries making me stronger
Flowing down, rumbling like thunder
With them, I share a special bond
Which is told by the Lepchas folklore and songs

Greed and need have blinded people
Dams, river diversion, mining, dumping waste, and whatnot?
With all the bumps and bruises I plead for help

Nobody is willing to take the blame
For all the destruction you all have caused
Yet, there are numerous livelihoods on the line
Though people can still see yet, why so blind?

Look at me now
The pristine river that people used to bow
For the sake of people’s need
To fulfill their never-ending greed
These people never look back and see
What has it cost me to be
The river TEESTA, who used to flow freely

I flow down 
Through the lane singing my song
But the lower I flow down
Gradually I see my identity torn.

Poem by Pema Yangden Lepcha & Lyangmit Lepcha

Translations to Lepcha by Cholamoo Lepcha