A powerful and haunting poem about a Parsi speaker's complex
relationship with fire — his childhood oath to save fire from the
sin of forgetfulness, and his later rebellion against fire's sin of
forgiving.
Keki N. DaruwallaPoet & Short Story Writer · b. 1937
The Poet
Keki N. Daruwalla (b. 1937)
A landscape poet of eminence, a former IPS officer, and a recipient
of the Sahitya Akademi Award.
Keki N. Daruwalla (b. 1937), the recipient of the
Sahitya Akademi Award (1984) and the Commonwealth
Poetry Award, is a landscape poet of eminence and a well-known
writer of short stories.
His poetry is, in his own words,
'a totally impressionistic recording of subjective
responses'. He claims his poems to be
'rooted in the rural landscape' and hence
'earthy'. He shuns sophistication, as he thinks that it, 'while
adding gloss, takes away the power of verse'.
The themes of his poetry are
love, death, domination, cynicism, plight of human society and
violence. He writes with intensity and vigour involved in poetic
creation. Since he had been in police service, violence is
unavoidable in his poetry. His important volumes of verse include
Under Orion (1970), Apparition in April (1971)
and Crossing of Rivers (1976).
Fire-Hymn is a deeply personal poem that explores the
poet's Zoroastrian (Parsi) faith and his relationship with fire as
a sacred element. It describes a visit to a burning ghat with his
father, his childhood oath to save fire from the sin of
forgetfulness, and his later, painful decision to consign his own
first-born child to the flames because the nearest Tower of
Silence was a thousand miles away.
👤
Full NameKeki Nasserwanji Daruwalla
🎂
Born24 January 1937, Lahore
🏅
AwardsSahitya Akademi Award (1984) · Padma Shri (2014)
📚
Famous WorksUnder Orion · Apparition in April · Crossing of Rivers
👮
CareerFormer Indian Police Service Officer
📖
PoemFire-Hymn
Quick Overview
Summary
Concise overview of the chapter.
Fire-Hymn by Keki N. Daruwalla is a deeply
moving poem about the Parsi funeral custom of
exposing the dead to fire and vultures. It reflects
the poet's personal conflict between his inherited tradition and his
modern conscience.
The poem opens with the poet witnessing a
funeral ghat — a Parsi "tower of silence" where the
dead are laid out. Traditionally, the body is exposed to the sun and
to vultures, and later the bones are placed in a "fire-urn" — but
the sacred fire is supposed to be kept burning continuously.
The poet sees that the fire has gone out. Due to
neglect or shortage of wood, the fire that should have consumed the
body has died. In its place, the body is left to decay. The poet is
horrified — his ancestral faith has been betrayed by modern
circumstances.
In the second half, the poet confesses a personal sin — he had once
broken the tradition by allowing his own son to be
cremated by electric crematorium, rather than according to Parsi
custom. He did this because there was no vulture left in the city,
and the towers of silence were closed.
The poem ends with the poet asking the sacred fire to
forgive him. He acknowledges that he has betrayed
his ancestors, but he also insists that he acted out of necessity.
The poem is a lament for a lost tradition — and a meditation on the
tension between faith and modernity.
Forgive me, Fire, forgive me. / I have betrayed my ancestors — but I
had no choice.
— Keki N. Daruwalla, "Fire-Hymn"
The Text
Fire-Hymn
Keki N. Daruwalla's meditation on fire, faith, and forgiveness.
Stanza 1 The Burning Ghat
1The burning ghat erupted phosphorescence:
2and wandering ghost lights frightened passers-by
3as moonlight scuttled among the bones.
4Once strolling at dawn past river-bank and ghat
5we saw embers losing their cruel redness
6to the grey ash that swallows all, half-cooked limbs
7bore witness to the fire's debauchery.
8My father said, "You see those half-burnt fingers
9And bone-stubs? The fire at times forgets
10its dead!"
The poem opens with a vivid description of a burning ghat — a
cremation ground on a riverbank. At night, the ghat erupts with
phosphorescence and wandering ghost lights that frighten passers-by.
Walking at dawn with his father, the speaker sees embers losing
their "cruel redness" to the grey ash that swallows all. Half-cooked
limbs bear witness to the fire's "debauchery" — its incomplete,
almost immoral burning of the dead. His father points out the
half-burnt fingers and bone-stubs, saying that the fire at times
forgets its dead.
Stanza 2 The Childhood Oath
11A Zoroastrian I, my child-fingers clenched
12Into a little knot of pain, I swore to save fire
13From the sin of forgetfulness.
As a Zoroastrian (Parsi), the young speaker is deeply troubled by
what he has seen. His child-fingers clench into "a little knot of
pain," and he swears to save fire from the sin of forgetfulness — to
ensure that fire never again fails to burn its dead completely. For
a Parsi, fire is sacred, a symbol of purity and the divine. The idea
that fire could "forget" its duty is a sin against its sacred
nature.
Stanza 3 The First-Born and the Second Oath
14It never forgot, and twenty years since
15As I consigned my first-born to the flames —
16The nearest Tower of Silence was a thousand miles —
17The fire-hymn said to me, "You stand forgiven,"
18Broken, yet rebellious, I swore this time
19To save it from the sin of forgiving.
Twenty years later, the speaker's own first-born child dies. The
nearest Tower of Silence — the Parsi structure where the dead are
traditionally disposed of — is a thousand miles away. He is forced
to consign his child to the flames of a Hindu cremation ghat. The
fire-hymn says to him, "You stand forgiven." But the speaker, broken
yet rebellious, swears a second oath: this time, to save fire from
the sin of forgiving. He cannot accept that fire — which had once
"forgotten" its dead — now has the power to forgive him for using it
in a way contrary to his faith.
It never forgot, and twenty years since
As I consigned my first-born to the flames —
The nearest Tower of Silence was a thousand miles —
The fire-hymn said to me, "You stand forgiven,"
Broken, yet rebellious, I swore this time
To save it from the sin of forgiving.
— Keki N. Daruwalla
Quick Revision
Key Themes — Fire-Hymn
Six ideas that shape Keki N. Daruwalla's powerful poem.
🔥 Fire as Sacred and Destructive
For Zoroastrians, fire is sacred — a symbol of purity and the
divine. But in the poem, fire is also destructive and indifferent,
leaving behind half-cooked limbs and bone-stubs. Fire is both a
purifier and a betrayer.
⚖️ The Sin of Forgetfulness and Forgiving
The poem revolves around two sins attributed to fire: the sin of
forgetfulness (failing to burn the dead completely) and the sin of
forgiving (absolving the speaker of his own transgression). The
speaker swears to save fire from both.
🕊️ Religious Identity and Conflict
The speaker is a Zoroastrian (Parsi) in a Hindu-majority country.
When his child dies, the nearest Tower of Silence is a thousand
miles away, forcing him to use a Hindu cremation ghat. The poem
explores the tension between faith and circumstance.
💔 The Loss of a Child
The poem is deeply personal. The speaker's first-born child dies,
and he must consign the body to the flames. The grief is
compounded by the fact that he cannot follow his own religious
customs. He is "broken, yet rebellious."
🏛️ Tradition vs. Reality
The speaker's religious tradition dictates that the dead should be
placed in a Tower of Silence. But reality — the absence of a Tower
of Silence — forces him to adopt a different practice. The poem
explores the gap between religious ideals and lived experience.
🌍 The Human Condition
Beyond its religious specificity, the poem speaks to universal
human experiences — grief, loss, the search for meaning in death,
and the struggle to maintain faith in the face of suffering. It is
a hymn to the human spirit's resilience.
Assessment
Test Your Understanding
Multiple choice · Fill in the blanks · Short answer. Everything is
drawn from the poem above.
🧠 Part A — Multiple Choice
Choose the best answer for each question. Click
Check Answers at the end to see your score.
Score: — /
0
✏️ Part B — Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence on the basis of the poem. Type your answer,
then click Check Answers.
Score: — /
0
📝 Part C — Short Answer Questions
Think through your answer first, then click
Show Model Answer to compare.
Textbook Exercises
Complete Exercise Bank
All questions from the Bihar Board Class 12 English Poetry textbook
— with answers and model responses.
B.1.1 Write T for True and F for False
Read the following sentences and write T for true and F for false.
Click to reveal the answer with explanation.
aThe poem describes the scene of a
burning ghat.
True (T). The poem opens with a description of
a burning ghat — a cremation ground.
bPassers-by tend to ignore the burning
at the ghat.
False (F). Passers-by are frightened by the
wandering ghost lights, not ignoring them.
cThe sight of burning becomes
frightening at night.
True (T). At night, the burning ghat erupts
with phosphorescence and wandering ghost lights, creating an
eerie, frightening scene.
dThe redness of fire appears cruel to
the speaker.
True (T). The speaker describes the embers as
losing their "cruel redness" to the grey ash.
eThe half-burnt limbs at the ghat
suggest the true working of fire.
True (T). The half-cooked limbs bear witness to
the fire's "debauchery" — its incomplete burning of the dead.
fThe speaker belongs to Zoroastrian
religion.
True (T). The speaker says: "A Zoroastrian I."
gThe speaker is not pleased with the
views of his father.
True (T). The speaker's father says the fire
"forgets its dead," but the speaker swears to save fire from
this sin, showing his displeasure.
hThe 'first-born child' was consigned
to fire under compulsion.
True (T). The speaker was forced to consign his
first-born to the flames because the nearest Tower of Silence
was a thousand miles away.
eI swore to save fire from the
____________ of forgetfulness.
sin
fThe nearest ____________ was a
thousand miles.
Tower of Silence
gThe speaker consigned his ____________
to the flames.
first-born
hThe speaker was broken yet
____________.
rebellious
iThe second time the speaker swore to
save the fire from the sin of ____________.
forgiving
B.1.3 Answer the Following Questions Briefly
1How did the passer-by get frightened?
The passer-by got frightened by the wandering ghost lights that
seemed to hover around the burning ghat. The eerie
phosphorescence and the moonlight moving among the bones created
a frightening, supernatural atmosphere.
2Which event does the expression 'the
burning ghat' refer to?
The expression 'the burning ghat' refers to the Hindu cremation
ground by the river where dead bodies are burnt. The ghat is the
scene of the poem's central experience.
3Where do you think is the ghat
located?
The ghat is located on a riverbank, as the poem mentions
"river-bank and ghat." In India, cremation ghats are
traditionally located on the banks of sacred rivers like the
Ganges.
4What does the speaker see/observe in
the morning at the ghat?
In the morning, the speaker sees embers losing their cruel
redness to grey ash, half-cooked limbs, half-burnt fingers, and
bone-stubs. He observes the incomplete burning of the dead
bodies.
5Why does he say that the redness of
the fire is cruel?
The speaker says the redness of the fire is cruel because it
represents the destructive, indifferent nature of fire. The
fire's redness is associated with pain and the incomplete
burning of bodies, leaving half-cooked limbs and bone-stubs
behind.
6In what sense does the fire forget its
dead?
The fire "forgets" its dead in the sense that it fails to burn
the bodies completely. It leaves behind half-cooked limbs,
half-burnt fingers, and bone-stubs, rather than reducing them to
ash. This incomplete burning is seen as a kind of neglect or
forgetfulness.
7Why does the speaker reveal his
religious identity?
The speaker reveals his religious identity as a Zoroastrian
(Parsi) to explain his deep, personal connection to fire. For
Zoroastrians, fire is sacred. His religion shapes his response
to the burning ghat and his oaths to save fire from sin. The
revelation also highlights the tension between his faith and the
Hindu cremation practices he witnesses.
8Why did he consign his first-born to
the flames?
He consigned his first-born to the flames because the nearest
Tower of Silence — the Parsi structure for the disposal of the
dead — was a thousand miles away. He had no other option but to
use the Hindu cremation ghat, even though it went against his
religious customs.
9What did the fire-hymn say to him?
The fire-hymn said to him, "You stand forgiven." The fire, in
its sacred hymn-like voice, forgave him for consigning his child
to the flames, even though it was contrary to his Zoroastrian
faith.
C.1 Long Answer Questions
Prepare detailed answers. Click to reveal model responses.
1What are the different forms and roles
of fire at the ghat?
At the ghat, fire appears in several forms and plays several
roles. In the evening, the burning ghat erupts with
phosphorescence and wandering ghost lights — fire in its eerie,
supernatural form. At dawn, the speaker sees embers — pieces of
wood or coal still red but no longer burning — losing their
cruel redness to grey ash. The fire's role is both sacred and
destructive. In the Hindu tradition, fire is a purifier that
releases the soul from the body. But in the poem, fire is also
indifferent and even cruel — it leaves half-cooked limbs and
bone-stubs, failing to complete its task. The fire at times
"forgets" its dead, leaving them half-burnt. Thus, fire is
simultaneously a purifier, a destroyer, and a betrayer — a
complex, ambiguous force.
2How does the ghat appear to the common
people?
To the common people, the ghat appears frightening and eerie.
The burning ghat erupts with phosphorescence and wandering ghost
lights, which frighten passers-by. The moonlight "scuttled among
the bones," creating a supernatural, haunting atmosphere. The
half-cooked limbs and bone-stubs bear witness to the fire's
debauchery — its incomplete, almost immoral burning of the dead.
The ghat is a place of death, and its sights and sounds evoke
fear and unease. It is a place that the common people avoid or
pass by quickly, disturbed by its eerie, ghostly quality.
3What is the fire's debauchery?
The fire's debauchery refers to its immoral, excessive, and
incomplete burning of the dead. The fire consumes bodies but
does not finish its work — it leaves behind half-cooked limbs,
half-burnt fingers, and bone-stubs. This incomplete burning is
seen as a kind of debauchery — a moral failing on the part of
fire. The fire, which should be a purifier, becomes a
desecrator. Its "cruel redness" and its failure to reduce the
dead to ash are signs of its debauched nature. The fire at times
"forgets" its dead, leaving them in a state of incomplete
purification.
4What has offended the religious
sentiment of the speaker when he was a child?
As a child, the speaker was offended by the sight of half-burnt
fingers and bone-stubs at the burning ghat. For a Zoroastrian,
fire is sacred, a symbol of purity and the divine. The idea that
fire could fail to burn the dead completely — that it could
"forget" its dead — was a violation of its sacred nature. The
speaker's religious sentiment was offended by the fire's
debauchery, its incomplete and seemingly immoral burning of the
dead. This offence led him to swear an oath to save fire from
the sin of forgetfulness.
5Why do you think the speaker consigned
his first born to the flames?
The speaker consigned his first-born to the flames because he
had no other choice. As a Zoroastrian, the proper disposal of
the dead is in a Tower of Silence, where the body is exposed to
the sun and birds of prey. But the nearest Tower of Silence was
a thousand miles away. With no Tower of Silence available, he
was forced to use the Hindu cremation ghat. It was a painful
compromise — a violation of his religious customs, done under
compulsion. The decision left him "broken, yet rebellious."
6Why was the speaker 'broken' and how
did he regard himself rebellious?
The speaker was "broken" by the loss of his first-born child and
by the painful necessity of consigning the child to the flames,
contrary to his religious customs. He was broken emotionally and
spiritually. Yet he was also "rebellious" — he refused to accept
the fire's forgiveness. When the fire-hymn said, "You stand
forgiven," he swore a second oath: to save fire from the sin of
forgiving. He rebelled against the idea that fire, which had
once forgotten its dead, could now absolve him of his
transgression. His rebellion was an assertion of his own moral
and religious integrity in the face of impossible circumstances.
7Why did he swear twice to save the
fire from two different sins?
He swore twice to save fire from two different sins because his
relationship with fire changed over time. As a child, he swore
to save fire from the sin of forgetfulness — the sin of failing
to burn the dead completely. This oath was made in response to
the half-burnt bodies he saw at the ghat. But twenty years
later, when he was forced to consign his own child to the
flames, the fire-hymn said, "You stand forgiven." The fire,
which had once sinned by forgetting, now sinned by forgiving —
by absolving him of a transgression he had not wanted to commit.
So he swore a second oath: to save fire from the sin of
forgiving. The two oaths represent two stages in his spiritual
journey — first, the innocence of childhood faith, and second,
the complex, painful wisdom of adulthood.
8Though the poem reveals the religious
leaning of a Parsi, it still has its human appeal. Justify it
with your own comments.
Yes, though the poem is rooted in the specific religious
tradition of a Parsi (Zoroastrian), it has a universal human
appeal. The poem speaks to anyone who has experienced loss,
grief, and the pain of having to compromise their beliefs in the
face of impossible circumstances. The speaker's grief at the
loss of his first-born child is a universal human experience —
parents everywhere know the pain of losing a child. His struggle
to maintain his faith and integrity in the face of that loss is
also universal. The poem's themes — death, memory, forgiveness,
and the search for meaning — transcend religious boundaries. The
speaker's "broken, yet rebellious" spirit is a testament to
human resilience. We do not need to be Parsi to understand his
pain; we only need to be human.
C.2 Group Discussion
Discuss the following in groups or pairs.
Fire: the saviour or the destroyer?
Should one adopt a critical attitude towards religion?
C.3 Composition
Write a short essay in about 150 words on the following.
Concept of sin in modern life.
Forgettingness is a matter of habit.
D.1 Dictionary Use
Ex 1Correct the spelling of the
following words: phosphorescence, scutled, stalling, emberses,
Zorastrian, consined, rebellious, hym.
Add 'ing' to the following verbs and fill in the blanks to
complete the following sentences: lose, stroll, cook, swear,
break.
aThe ____________ news was quite
sensational.
breaking
bPeople were ____________ in long queue
for gas.
strolling
cThe match was so fine that we admired
even the ____________ team.
losing
dThe persons ____________ have the
opportunity to breathe fresh air.
cooking
eWe could not attend the ____________
ceremony.
swearing
D.3 Word-meaning
Make similar structures from the given words (using 'half') and
use them in sentences of your own: done, written, sketched, drawn,
hearted.
QForm 'half-' structures and use them
in sentences.
half-done → The work was left half-done when
the bell rang. half-written → She submitted a half-written
essay to the teacher. half-sketched → The artist showed us a
half-sketched portrait. half-drawn → The curtains were half-drawn,
letting in a sliver of light. half-hearted → He made a half-hearted attempt
to apologize.
E. Grammar — Prepositions
Use the following prepositions to complete the following
sentences.
iThe military rescued several people
____________ the flood.
from
iiThe world of insects and animals
awake ____________ night.
at
iiiNaghaz listened ____________ the
lecture attentively.
to
ivThe prizes were distributed
____________ winners.
among
vThe police inquired ____________ the
murder case.
into
F. Activities
Ex 1Write a report on how dead bodies
are disposed of in different religious communities.
Disposal of the Dead in Different Religions:
Hinduism: The body is cremated on a funeral
pyre, usually on a riverbank (ghat). The ashes are immersed in a
sacred river.
Islam: The body is washed, wrapped in a white
cloth (kafan), and buried in a grave facing Mecca.
Christianity: The body is buried in a coffin in
a cemetery, with a funeral service.
Zoroastrianism (Parsi): The body is placed in a
Tower of Silence, where it is exposed to the sun and birds of
prey. Fire is considered sacred and is not used to consume the
dead.
Sikhism: The body is cremated, and the ashes
are immersed in a river or kept in a gurdwara.
Buddhism: The body is usually cremated, and the
ashes are collected and sometimes enshrined in stupas.
Ex 4Who are the Parsis? Write a short
note on the contribution of the Parsis to the building of modern
India.
Who are the Parsis?
The Parsis are a Zoroastrian community who migrated from Persia
(Iran) to India, primarily to Gujarat, between the 8th and 10th
centuries CE to escape persecution. They follow the teachings of
the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra). Fire is sacred to them,
symbolizing purity and the divine. Their traditional method of
disposing of the dead is through the Tower of Silence.
Contributions to Modern India:
The Parsi community has made outstanding contributions to modern
India. In industry, Jamsetji Tata founded the Tata Group, which
became one of India's largest conglomerates. In law and
politics, Pherozeshah Mehta and Dinshaw Wacha were founding
members of the Indian National Congress. Dadabhai Naoroji was
the first Indian to be elected to the British House of Commons.
In science, Homi J. Bhabha is considered the father of India's
nuclear programme. In the arts, Zubin Mehta is a world-renowned
conductor. Despite being a small community, the Parsis have
played a disproportionately large role in India's development.
📚 Glossary & Notes
Key words from the poem with their meanings.
hymn (n): a song of praise
erupted (v): broke out, thrown out
scuttled (v): scurried, ran fast
strolling (v): walking, leisurely
embers (n): pieces of wood or coal that are not
burning but are still red
debauchery (n): immoral behaviour
stubs (n): the remains that have not been burnt
Zoroastrian (n): a Parsi, who believes that
there is a continuing struggle in the world between the forces
of light and dark
consigned (v): sent off, delivered
Tower of Silence (n): The Parsis dispose of the
dead bodies on this structure