Words, O Words!

Ram Gopal Ashutosh

O words
Why are you mute, like stones?
Speak, scream, puke filthy words
write on defiant walls
obscene words
and babble deusi songs in inebriation
and trumpet intoxicated slogans.
It doesn’t suit you to be dumb;
get crazy, words!
Become voiced.
Steal oxen of foreign breed
and yoke them in the sloppy terraces of democracy
break into the cellars of images in the front-line
and kidnap
the son of god who’s been declared a terrorist
brother of man
the witnesses of untouchable edge.
Collect yourself on the town street
pawned from others
strew yourself in the barn of your neighbors;
print yourself
in esteemed newspapers with colored titles.
To congratulate you,
with flowers of tears in their hands
standing in line are Devkota, Rimal and Bhimnidhi
Basu Shashi, Bhupi and Siddhicharan,
Parijat and Krishna Bhusan!
Turn-coat, opportunism
shall stand with hot semen in hand
like Vichitravirya, standing like he-goats
as poet Viplav contends.
To award you,
famous contracting guest-house shall come
with invitations from every street
from every road, and from every pub
Words! O words!
Do not remain speechless.
Steal images; borrow editing
steal Binod-Bikram’s images
assail Buddha’s peace with thoughts
steal Pratisara; steal Sakuntala’s voice
aim missiles on the voices of saints
rob the thoughts of Manu
rob the style of Suresh Kiran
assail the sleep-mansion of power-centers
disrupt the peace of editing morns
fire the coordinating days from their jobs!
O disenchanted Bairagi peace
lecture like a drunken man
attack from every marginal place
O rebellious Viplav time
listen!
How uninformed, irresponsible these words are!
Give orders to these cosmetic words:
“Get mad; go crazy!”
O Bhupeen!
alight from your plane — Suplako Hawaijahaj
and order, “Halt!”
Give orders to these words:
“Do not remain mute like this.”
Sarita, hello Sarita!
Invent questions from your industry, Prashnaharuko Karkhana!
Give command, Brother Shrawan,
tell words to sing:
‘Maathi-maathi sailungaima chauri charaunelai’
and, ‘Sun re, Siyaram’!
Brother Saru!
Shout from Pagal Basti, the village of the insane
and tell everyone
that propelled by the word ‘insane’ by Grandfather Lamxi,
Shankar Lamichhane evolved.
The mad words declared:
‘Repetition in the same line is worthless.”
Lamicchane didn’t remain silent.
His words went crazy;
they screamed, and laughed aloud.
Brother Shyamal,
Why are these people
hasting away in their travel
scratching themselves for scabies without a word?
They might listen to you if not to anyone else!
Do tell them please—
Make noise! Scream! Raise slogans!
Words, o words!
Pray, do not remain silent!

Translated from Nepali by Mahesh Paudyal

[Ram Gopal Ashutosh (b. 1976) is young poet from Bhaktapur, the ancient, culturally-rich district of Nepal. Ishwar ra Phoolharu (2014) is his first poetry collection. He is also a literary activist associated with Sajhya Sahitya, a movement of poetry initiative by young poets based in Bhaktpaur. He can be reached at ashutoshg56@gmail.com or at +977-]