Shrawan Mukarung
Children are basking in the fire under the lamppost.
This chill has been prevalent for ages.
Long ago, they say, they burnt woods for heat,
and burnt water and air
but we burnt tyres of decrepit minibuses
and burnt newspapers, and pamphlets of statesmen
children are burning the last pages of scriptures today
Filmfare and Modern Poems.
What will future children burn,
what will they, in fact, burn?
This chill has been prevalent for ages.
Children are basking in the fire under the lamppost.
[Trans: Mahesh Paudyal]
Shrawan Mukarung (b. 1968) is a famous Nepali poet, lyricist, essayist and dramatist. Born in Bhojpur in Eastern Nepal, he stated writing in 1983. His popular publications are Desh Khojdai Janda (While Looking for the Nation, poems, Jeevanko Laya (Tune of Life, poems) Hiunko Darbar (A Snow Palace, songs); Yalambar (Play, 1996); Phoolko Aawaz (Voice of the Flowers, songs), Niskarsh (Conclusion, songs), Bise Nagarchiko Bayan ra Anya Kavita (Bise Nagarchi’s Statement and Other Poems, VCD, 2006 and book, 2010), Sun Re Siyaram (Siyaram, Listen to Me, songs) and Bhawalaya (The Abode of Feelings, essays). He lives with his family in Kathmandu.