The Chakor’s Love

The moon shines bright in the distant sky,  

Unknowing of the chakor’s longing sigh… 

In love, the chakor gazes, night after night,  

Chasing a dream like a star beyond its sight…

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The chakor understands it can never soar,  

Close to the shining moon it forever adores…  

Yet still it watches on, with unwavering grace,  

Finding comfort in the moonlight’s embrace…  

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One moonlit night, your fingers slipped away,  

Like a kite untethered, lost slowly in disarray…  

I stood alone as your shadow faded from sight

Leaving me with nothing but the hue of night… 

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Like chakor, I neither know nor wish to learn,  

Whether you feel the love for which I yearn…  

For in this moonlight, my love finds its nest,

With you, my heart resides, forever at its best…

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P.S.

In Hindu mythology, the chakor, often referred to as the “moon bird” and identified as a partridge, is believed to be deeply in love with the moon. It is said to survive on the moon’s beams, gazing at it continuously.

The Chakor represents intense, often unrequited love, marked by devotion and longing. Each night, it looks up at the moon with unwavering adoration, singing sweet melodies to express its affection. The bird’s love is so profound that it remains captivated by the moon’s beauty, never looking away, not even for a moment.

The Chakor’s love for the moon is often seen as a metaphor for the human experience of longing and devotion. In Indian literature and poetry, the Chakor is often used as a symbol of the soul’s yearning for spiritual enlightenment, or the heart’s desire for love and connection. 

The Chakor’s love for the moon has been immortalised in various forms of Indian art, literature, and music, including classical poetry, folk songs, and miniature paintings. Here is my humble tribute to this timeless theme.

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–Kaushal Kishore