This page features a video of the poem “Palanquin Bearers”, prescribed under the Karnataka State Syllabus for 8th Standard English First Language. Along with its summary in three languages and transliterated songs. It serves as a valuable learning resource for students and parents, with each song accompanied by its respective lyrics for easy sing-along. The synchronized lyrics help learners follow and recite the song as it progresses, making memorization and learning by heart easier, more effective, and enjoyable.
Lyrics
English
Lightly, O lightly we bear her along,
She sways like a flower in the wind of our song;
She skims like a bird on the foam of a stream,
She floats like a laugh from the lips of a dream.
Gaily, O gaily we glide and we sing,
We bear her along like a pearl on a string.
Softly, O softly we bear her along
She hangs like a star in the dew of our song;
She springs like a beam on the brow of the tide
She falls like a tear from the eyes of a bride,
Lightly, O lightly we glide and we sing,
We bear her along like a pearl on a string.
She sways like a flower in the wind of our song;
She skims like a bird on the foam of a stream,
She floats like a laugh from the lips of a dream.
Gaily, O gaily we glide and we sing,
We bear her along like a pearl on a string.
Softly, O softly we bear her along
She hangs like a star in the dew of our song;
She springs like a beam on the brow of the tide
She falls like a tear from the eyes of a bride,
Lightly, O lightly we glide and we sing,
We bear her along like a pearl on a string.
Summary
The poem presents a graceful image of a woman being carried along with great gentleness and beauty. She is compared to a flower swaying in the wind and a bird skimming over a stream. She is also described as floating like a dream and being carried like a pearl on a string. Other comparisons connect her with a star in dew, a beam on the tide, and a tear from a bride. These images emphasize softness, movement, delicacy, and beauty. The poem creates a musical and dreamlike picture through its repeated comparisons with nature.
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