“I Am Dedicated to You” is another of Zava Damdin’s beautiful poems. Here, it is translated by the young Mongolian scholar, Naro.

Notes have also been included to support inter-cultural understanding. Given that we appreciate and read Mongolian poetry from different perspectives and in different ways, these notes are not intended to be definitive but rather offer a broader perspective on Mongolian lifeworlds and their contemporary expression. For this doha, the interpretive focus is framed through the lens of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy—a connection that, from my perspective, arises naturally.

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I AM DEDICATED TO YOU

By Zava Damdin (b.1976)

 

If Spring is missed within your heart,

Then I shall give breath, as does the warm atmosphere.

If Summer is needed within your soul,

Then I shall dwell as blossoms’ finest offering.

If you reminisce about Autumn in your thoughts,

Then I shall descend as gilded amber leaves.

If Winter is required within your season,

Then I shall, like tender snow, enfold you in quiet reflection.

 

If your mind grows thirsty for wisdom,

Then I shall soothe and serenade you as a poem.

If you sit in solitude, and weep in sorrow,

Then I, as a bird, shall perch at your window and keep you company.

If you lack in culture and enlightenment,

Then I shall resound, as a ballad of heroes and dakinis.

If your hand requires an instrument,

Then I shall turn into a pen and seek you out.

 

If by your side a book is needed,

Then I shall exist as the rarest scripture.

If your crown seeks adornment,

Then I shall enthrone you, like an Amitābha unmoving.

If beneath your steps a path is needed

Then I shall become a sapphire staircase, unlocking your ascension.

So long as you dwell upon this world,

I am dedicated to you.

 

The boy who pleases Manjushri (Zava Damdin (b.1976)

30.09.2025

Translated by Naro

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Notes

At first glance, the poem is an expression of total dedication and compassionate service — an orator who vows to take any form necessary to bring comfort, wisdom, and beauty to another being. In Mahayana Buddhism, this is the essence of bodhicitta — the altruistic intention to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

The repeated refrain “I shall” echoes the bodhisattva vow, a central Mahayana ideal of limitless compassion and responsiveness to the needs of others.

A. The Bod’sadva (Бодьсадва, Bodhisattva) Ideal 

Each couplet presents a scenario of emotional or spiritual lack (“If Spring is missed…”, “If your mind grows thirsty…”) followed by a selfless response. This structure mirrors the Bod’sadva’s activity — transforming into whatever form is needed to relieve suffering.

It also reflects the teaching that enlightened compassion is adaptive and boundless. Just as Aryabal (Аръяабал, Avalokiteśvara) manifests in countless forms to save beings, the speaker’s promise to become “breath,” “snow,” “bird,” or “book” represents skilful means (upāya) — the wisdom-guided ability to respond to the needs of others.

B. Symbolism of the Four Seasons

The first four couplets move through the cycle of seasons, symbolising impermanence and interdependence.

Romanised	Cyrillic	English
Khavar	Хавар	Spring
Zun	Зун	Summer
Namar	Намар	Autumn / Fall
Övöl	Өвөл	Winter

• Spring (breath, warmth): birth, renewal — the energy of compassion that gives life.
• Summer (blossoms): fruition and offering — the beauty of enlightened action.
• Autumn (amber leaves): letting go — the wisdom of impermanence.
• Winter (snow, quiet reflection): stillness — meditative awareness and equanimity.

Together, these images can be seen as illustrating samsara and nirvana as one continuum, each season an aspect of the awakened mind responding harmoniously to change.

C. The Transformative “I”

From a Mahayana Buddhist perspective, the “I” in the poem is not an egoic self but rather an expression of non-self (anātman). The speaker dissolves into forms of nature, art, and wisdom. This fluid transformation can be understood as embodying the Buddhist concept of śūnyatā — the idea that all phenomena are without fixed essence and can therefore manifest in countless ways for the benefit of others.

With this view, the speaker’s identity is not a self, but a vessel of compassion. The “I” who becomes poem, bird, scripture, or path mirrors the bodhisattva’s ability to appear in diverse temporal forms to awaken others.

D. Imagery of Wisdom and Culture

When the poem turns to imagery of “wisdom,” “ballad,” “pen,” and “scripture,” it moves from natural compassion to transcendent wisdom — the integration of insight (prajñā) and compassion (karuṇā).

• “I shall soothe and serenade you as a poem” — Dharma expressed as aesthetic beauty.
• “I shall resound as a ballad of heroes and dakinis” — the transmission of realisation through lineage and culture.
• “I shall turn into a pen and seek you out” — the Dharma’s self-arising intention to teach.
• “I shall exist as the rarest scripture” — the sutra-like dedication of enlightened speech.

These metaphors echo Manzushir‘s (Манзушир, Manjushri) sharp clarity and the closing inscription confirms this connection: “The boy who pleases Manjushri.”

E. A Final Note

From a Mahayana Buddhist perspective, Zava Rinpoche’s eloquent doha can be read as a poetic enactment of the bodhisattva vow — to transform into whatever is needed to nurture clarity, dignity and joy in others. It expresses:

• Bodhicitta — selfless dedication to all beings.
• Śūnyatā — identity dissolved into compassionate responsiveness.
• Upāya — skillful means adapting to others’ needs.
• Prajñā — the wisdom of Manjushri guiding compassion.

Ultimately, the poem can be read as both a devotional offering and a teaching on non-duality, where service to others is not separate from enlightenment itself. There are so many other ways to analyse this doha of Rinpoche’s from a Mahayana perspective, but I think I’ll stop here.

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Please note, translation is always an interpretation into another culture.

If there are any errors of judgement in this article, they are of my own making.

For these, I humbly apologise.

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Refer to the INDEX for other articles that may be of interest.

© 2013-2026. CP in Mongolia. “Mongolian Poetry 26: I am Dedicated to You” is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. ScholarGPT provided an additional channel for research. Documents linked from this page may be subject to other restrictions. Posted: 6 January 2026. Last updated: 7 January 2026.