Rajeshwar Karki
A cloud overcast the village
A thunderbolt struck the town
The village saw rainfall
The downpour flooded the town
The entire village was carried away
Ultimately, the whole nation drowned in tears
A storm battered the village
The town lost its roofs
A tree fell in the village
The lamps were blown off in the town
Ultimately, the whole village was darkened
The rain fell, for it was destined to fall
But man multiplied the flood, why?
The storm was bound to break, and it did
But why did man usher in a storm?
Man snapped ties of love with other men,
And in turn, tuned himself an orphan
Ultimately, the whole nation turned obscure.
Trans: Mahesh Paudyal
Rajeshwar Karki is a poet and social activist from Jajarkot, now based in Nepal. He is the vice president of Nepali Kalasahitya Dot Com Pratisthan, a premier literary organization. His published works include Mero Kavitako Antim Pristha (Collection of poems, 2005, also English translation published in 2010, trans. Mahesh Paudyal Prarambha). He is also involved in editing owww.nepalikalasahitya.com (Purely literary web page), Sagarmathako Nrityamagna Aatma (Representative Modern Nepali Poetry, as advising editor), and literary magazines like Sirjana and Kuse.