________________ The Sardar With what pale lilies, with what roses red, Shall we do him honour, the man who is now dead? How shall we speak his eulogy, how shall his praise be sung, Who scorned all flowery eloquence, so alien to his tongue? Words are less than useless, he prized the iron act, Which wrong what others dreamed and planned into iron fact! A man among men he walked with forthright heart and soul, He saw the light shine steadily and swerved not from his goal, A peasant out of Gujarat, a man sprung from the soil, He hammered out a nation with iron will and toil! He claimed no special virtue, he asked no special right, He sought nor gave quarter when he fought his fight, He walked with kings and commoners with head held high, He looked at saints and sinners with keen and level eye, Witness all Ye friends and foes, witness near and far, Witness Vallabhbhai Patel whom men called the Sardar, Others taught us virtue, alone he taught us strength, He needs no grave bronze nor stone, this is his monument, A peasant son of Gujarat, a man sprung from the soil, He hammered out a nation with iron will and toil! - Scorpio 'Reproduced From Kewal L. Panjabi, The Indomitable Sardar, Bombay, 1977, p.246. PRINTED BY: INSTANT PRINT OF INGLEWOOD (310) 671-6118 - FAX (310) 671-6590 Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org
