Purnabiram
There is no danger to my dress from the corpses
burning at this moment
The jungle is trying to snatch my dress away
I am extremely worried
Bones embrace the jungle in the room
and they shout on the street against the jungle
At this moment the jungle is also
walking in order to attack my garment
Even the bones that have emerged
out of the ground suddenly by breaking secrecy, are walking
I don’t want to be a Parashuram1
by beheading my mother
I don’t want to be a forest guard
by carrying a load of fear
A true charioteer lives still underground
but he stares at the sky
In order to protect my garment
he certainly decrees a great war
I am waiting for the proclamation
of a great war
My dignity will be saved by the great war
I am waiting here, concealing a weapon called courage
in my chest.
I don’t see to turn the pages of geography books
to find a place called Sikkim
the very land I am standing here
is going to turn into Sikkim.
I am terrified to see such elections in which Surasha2 herself
sure to be elected.
Today, the votes of citizen are not cast by hands,
but by the government, and are counted by guns.
Whether it be a cold winter or a season
when the price of pear goes down
The vote counter feels himself drowned in sweat
and guzzles water in front of the gun
I am not concerned about the name of the good charioteer
in order to keep my votes safe,
he surely does declare a great war
I am waiting for the declaration of great war
In order to ensure the sovereignty
of the place I am standing on
I am waiting for the great war
There is no danger for me at this moment
from the office that has remained busy
Fresh drops of blood question me:
How did the hemp plant grow from the bed
where opium was destroyed
but I have no answer
Present is the greatest ordeal
when I speak the ultimate truth
the fire-coated lips raise weapons at me
on the very day of Mahakalaratri3
I will be a halved ash-pumpkin
instead of a goat even before
waging the great war
let the bangles under me break into pieces, I don’t care,
I have sprinkled myself ritually for the great war
I am waiting for this day
There is no danger to me from those great hands
that push the great firearms in response to the deadly bullets of
the government
I feel danger from the tradition
of responding to bullets in words
There is no danger to me from those maestros
who sing the song of God from the heaven
but there is danger from those who seem to come back
from heaven and sing slogans in the street
pretending to shout against gods.
I am in danger from the revolution that snatches
my brother away and worships
the demon
I am boiling for a great revolution
I am ready to be the wife of fire in the great war.
- A legendary hero and a divine incarnation in the Mahabharata.
- An enchantress demon with great power, a legendary character in the Ramayana that can swallow ocean.
- Evokes a picture of the darkest night and the presence of most fearful Goddess, indicating death, when animal are sacrificed and blood offered in her worship, if not even pumpkins are sacrificed symbolizing animals.
Translated by Govinda Raj Bhattarai