Gopal Parajuli
Hudaina bihan mirmirma tara jharera nagaye
Bandaina muluk dui char saput marera nagaye.
[Unless the star falls, nor morning ever dawns. Likewise, unless a few martyrs sacrifice, no nation even prospers.]
This famous poem in folk meter was written by Poet Bhupi Sherchan. He is a luminary of Nepali literature.
Writing poems in ways quite different from the practice of his time, Bhupi surprised everyone with his simplicity and insightful. There are many poets now who write imitating him. However, he did not imitate anyone. He invented and pioneered his own way of writing.
The poets, who wrote poems before him, used to write in rhymes . Most of the contemporary poets do not write metrical poems. So, it is sometimes quite difficult to understand them. In such situations, where there was no meters and rhymes, Bhupi wrote the kinds of poems which could be read with music, and understood by all.
Bhupi scrutinized many things that hampered people’s unimpeded life in our society. He saw subjugation prevalent in the society. So, he wrote the feelings of the people, who were unjustly exploited, in his poems. He wrote people’s desire, which they wanted to boast of; but they couldn’t. Subsequently, everyone loved him very much because he directly expressed hidden sufferings of the people in his poems. So, he became extremely popular as a great poet of Nepal.
Bhupi’s actual name is Bhupendra Man Sherchan. He was born in Poush, 1935 in the village called Tak Tuchuké of Mustang district. His father’s name was Subba Hitman Sherchan. He studied many books of politics while a student in India. There, he got in the company of many Nepali people who were involved in politics. So, he also joined the activities.
Even when he published his first poems, he wrote his name as Bhupendra Man Sreshtha. He added ‘Sarbahara’—the poor ones—in his name because of his involvement in politics.
He studied up to Bachelor level. As a Nepali poet, he visited Soviet Union. He was nominated a member of Royal Nepal Academy. As its member he edited two literary publications of the Academy, namely Kabita and Pragya.
Though he was basically a poet, he also wrote a play Paribartan in 1953 and got it published. This is the first book he published, and the only drama written by him. There are four collections of the poems to his credit.
The books Bhupi wrote are listed her Paribartan (a play) and collection of poems Naya Jyaure, Nirjha, Ghumné Mechmaathi Andho Manché, and Bhupi Sherchanka Kabitaharoo.
Apart from these, his many scrap poems have been published in the different magazines. He also wrote some articles, but these articles have not been collected yet.
Among the four collections of his poems, the collection named Ghumné Mechmaathi Andho Manché is widely read. Lovely and beautiful poems written in a fairly new way have been included in that book. Everyone appreciates the book because it is written satirizing the immoral behaviors. For the same he was given ‘Sajha Puraskar’ 1969 AD. After this, he was conferred with a medal called ‘Gorkha Dakshinbahu’ in 1985.
He has become an epitome—an epitome, in the sense that one need not to write many books to become renowned. Rather a single worthy book can be sufficient to take on up to a height. One of the poems he wrote goes like this:
Hami jatisukai mathi uthau
Jatisukai yeta uti dagurau
Jatisukai thulo swarma garjau
Tara, hami phagat panika phoka hou.
[No matter how high we rise
How much left and right we toss
or how loud we shout;
we are mere bubbles of water.]
Bhupi also wrote songs. His songs are considered to be quite heart-touching. One of his songs runs like this:
Yo Nepali shir uchali sansarama lamkanchha
Junkirijhai jyoti bali andhakarma chamkanchha.
[His head held high, a Nepali tours the world
 Like a firefly, glitters even in dark.]
Bhupi has become an example that it is not necessary to write poems in the way others do. If one has the caliber, a poet can write in whatever way he or she likes. He proved to the readers that even the blank-verse poems can become popular like the metrical ones. Bhupi’s diction is carefully decorated with metaphor and images. He is noted for presenting exceptional ideas in an easy style.
A poet of such quality died at the age of 54 in 1989 in Kathmandu. With his death, we have lost a notable luminary. He is a jewel of our literary firmament. He will smell like the pleasant juniper forever and ever.
[Trans: Chandra Kiran Gurung]