There was a king in Cashmere
Who prayed for a child, an heir;
To take over the royal crown
And rule over every hill and town.
A bonny baby girl soon arrived
But the unhappy king just sighed;
His heart full of anger and shame
For the child was sadly born lame.
The King’s love shrivelled and dried
The child was insulted and deprived;
Destiny broke this sorry spell
When Princess Didda married well.
Her husband made her an equal partner
Royal coins had pictures of both him and her;
Queen Didda was clever and cunning
She quickly learned the tricks of ruling.
When her husband took ill and died
Didda was heartbroken and cried;
Her refusal to join him in the pyre
Earned her the wicked ministers’ ire.
She became regent to her young son
And got rid of her enemies one by one;
Alas, her son too did not live long
Yet Didda’s regency continued strong.
She groomed her three grandsons
Unfortunately, they died quite young;
She took the throne and became Queen
The fiercest one the land had ever seen.
Ruthless and ruling against all odds
She quelled revolts and exposed frauds;
Love her or hate her, but the fact remains
Peace and prosperity adorned her reign.
Art, religion and culture were inspirations –
In one year she laid 64 temple foundations;
When she finally died at the ripe age of 79
Her kingdom was strong, and her legacy fine.
