Abbottabad (poem)

"Abbottabad" is a poem by Major James Abbott who wrote the work about his experience in Pakistan before leaving it. He was impressed by beauty of the area. The city Abbottabad is named after him. [Isobel Shaw, "Pakistan Handbook", Hong Kong, Local Colour Limited, (1998) p.519]

Etymology : The name of the city Abbottabad is a compound contain two words, Abbott and Abad. Abad means a place of living, related to the English word Abode, (coincidentally abad is an old English form of the word Abode).

Poem text

I remember the day when I first came hereAnd smelt the sweet Abbottabad air

The trees and ground covered with snowGave us indeed a brilliant white glow

To me place seemed like a dreamAnd far ran a lonesome stream

The wind hissed as if welcoming usThe pine swayed creating a lot of fuss

And the tiny cuckoo sang it awayA song very melodious and gay

I adored the place from the first sightAnd was happy that my coming here was right

And eight good years here passed very soonAnd we leave our perhaps on a sunny day

Oh! Abbottabad we are leaving you nowTo your natural beauty do I bow

Perhaps your wind's sound will never reach my earMy gift for you is a tear

I bid you farewell with a heavy heartNever from my mind will you memories thwart

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