This poem is about a tall and beautiful tree called the Casuarina. The poet describes the tree as being like a big snake wrapped around itself, with scars on its trunk. A vine (creeper) climbs all the way up to the top, where it almost reaches the stars. No other tree can live in the vine's embrace. The tree wears a scarf of flowers, hanging in red clusters among the branches. Birds and bees gather around it during the day, and at night, the tree seems to sing a sweet, endless song.
The poet loves to look at the tree from her window in the morning. Sometimes, she sees a gray baboon sitting calmly on top of the tree, watching the sunrise. Its babies jump and play on the lower branches. Birds like the kokila sing in the morning, and cows go out to graze. Near the tree, there is a big pond with water lilies that look like white snow.
But the poet’s love for the tree is not just because it is beautiful. It is because she has played under it with her friends and loved ones. Those happy memories make the tree special to her. She will always think of her friends when she sees the tree, even if many years pass. The tree reminds her of her childhood and loved ones who are now sleeping in peace.
The poet hears a soft, sad sound from the tree, like the waves of the sea breaking on a beach. It sounds like the tree is crying or speaking a sad message. She feels that this sound might reach faraway lands and old stories. She thinks about the beautiful places in France and Italy, and of her childhood days there.
She wants to honor the tree, which is loved by many. She hopes that when she dies, the tree will live forever, like the famous trees in Borrowdale, England. She wishes her love and memories will keep the tree alive in everyone’s mind, and that no one will forget it.