Translations

For now, I would rather turn around. Having smeared my hands in black for so long Never did I think of you, as yours. Now as I stand on the cliff at night The moon beckons me fondly Or as I stand on the banks of Ganga, asleep The pyres emit warm invites I could leave, yes I could go away in any odd direction But, why would I? I would rather hold my child’s face and plant a kiss Leave I will Not just yet. I would take you-all along as well Alone, I shall not go at this untimely hour.

My head is hanging down in shame, but that is not a big deal. My veins are throbbing with anger, but neither is that a big deal. The big deal is that, A debate got settled today, at last. A few days ago I was having an intense debate With a senior poet on whether ghosts exist. They don’t, they don’t, they do not- I was screaming. They do, they do, they do- They maintained. That debate got settled today. Ghosts really do exist. Who else would fire the bullets?

Today I stand as a soldier on the frontier Crossing many a bloodied path Today I have come to a halt- At my homeland’s border. From the greys of Tunisia to the pleasant Italy, From pleasant Italy, we charged towards the rebellious France Like fate,controlled by the stars We were unbeatable, with the invincible rifles in our hands; -From France to even our neighbour, Burma. Today my body wears the stern uniform of a soldier, My hand still holds the rifle, invincible, Through my blood flows the ripples of triumph And of vanity that shadows power, a burden too heavy, Now, I am another sentry on the border.                                                          ...

We have kept Lenin standing at Dharmatala By the tram depot. A flock is picking up grains of rice from the garbage and eating away, Digging into the dustbins. Lenin is watching. A village man came to the city to see a doctor and turn into a destitute hence. Much before he could manage any of it, he was left penniless By a pickpocket. Lenin watches on. The girl who was taken away in a taxi At sundown, Has come and stood again under the tree Yawning as the night falls. Lenin is watching still. As he kept on standing, Lenin was yawny too. Suddenly I saw him all stirred up and steady I turned, following his gaze Wherefrom advances a huge parade of labourers holding red banners. I thought I heard Lenin call out, The century is ending- Speed up a little, brother, speed up!

As if with a sudden sweep she tugged the landscape off- The Sea. The sky, she pulled it down and rolled it open on the ground- The Sea. Or as from its hiding Right before one’s eyes, a deer Struck by a bullet shot, unanticipated Leaps high up in the air, Likewise from deep beneath Penetrating through all its sheaths All of a sudden, across the earth     Up sprang before my eyes- the Sea.

When one comes hurrying to grip the handle of a bus,“Which team are you?” you ask. Right before you allow a spoonful food inside a hungry mouth, you ask “What is your affiliation?” Hit by the bullet of Police, he lies on the rocks, But before helping him up you make sure where his allegiance lies With blood on both hands you still look out for which of his hands is colored! Holding a torch through the tunnels you probe the faces,his, her and their, who has the tattoo and who doesn’t What goals and what ideas?They come later. First, tell me “On which side are you?” Who died in Bhilai and who ran to the village of Chhattisgarh, whose head deserve s a lesser price On which roads should the blades dance and clash, on which roads should they march slower Before you render your verdict, you underline the question again “On which side are you?” After cutting loose a stale corpse from the suicide noose, you whisper into its ears, “Which team?” The ques...

Transcending the ambits Of life and of death, O my Friend, you stand And draw your breath. In the desolate skies Of this heart of mine, ‘Tis your throne immersed   In such ethereal shine. With profound joy and a hope,  Perhaps farfetched, I gaze at it,  With my arms outstretched. Her darkness: her tresses Around your feet, the Night, Unfurls her burden In silence and in quiet. Deluging all, today, Which song is this? From your veena that pours Down to the deepest abyss! The world merges in As the tunes resonate. While in agony (of the song) Cast adrift, away I went.