Budhinath Jha
This mystery is revolving in my mind
So I open it before the wise world
Who is the subject between the poet and the poem
That I fail to understand.
Something is compelling in my thought
That I have sat to pen down
The electric power is cut off —
So I have lighted a lamp.
A fly which has come from somewhere
Is making attacks on the flame of the lamp
I am trying hard to avoid the scene
But I am helpless.
Oh ! The helpless little object
It will die in no time
It might be a sin on my part that—
It will burn down before me.
So it’s a better idea
If I put out the lamp
But how to do with the next line of the poem?
I go over the line meditating.
The fly, grieved with the extinguished lamp
Hurt me to the core
It flew away humming some words
But no idea where?
I am done away with the poem
I am only attentive to what the humming means
I think I have done well to save life
But the saved itself perhaps abuses me to be the ‘killer ‘ .
[Translated from Maithili into English By Ayodhyanath Choudhary.]
Alas! The Killer!!
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