Shocked Words

                                           ¼?kcjk;s gq, 'kCn)

Hindi poem by Leela Dhar Jagudi 

Translation in English by G P Bahuguna 

 

One day the shocked words rallied

And began to protest,

‘Save us!!!

We have been cut off from places here and there

removed from the lines

Replaced either by our substitutes

Or been ruled out totally .

They included Mr. Taciturn, Mr. Defector and Mr. Avatar incarnate

joined by words of all kind-the ageless and immortal, the rich and peers of their time.

Some were infected by rust, some were cut open and torn

Anger writ large on their bearded face,

They were figures of disorder complete.

The Deprived Virtue was leading them

Protesting that the evil deed had outgrown like wild weed

The heavyweight Sin also stood aghast with them

Complaining that nobody bothered about him now.

There were host of words all around which had a deeper past than the ocean

But were kept out from the moral code of languages.

They were neither relevant in morning nor in evening or on the day.

They were neither cloud nor hailstorm, or dewdrops even

They were a confused lot of shocked words

Unorganized yet demanding security.

Some was seasoned cunning totally bosom- freak

Some was over used and spent up ; others looked sound but could hardly walk

Some were colorless, while the others were soaked in blood

Some were confused, the other did not understand at all.

Sitting close to Mute were a bunch of Common genders

Integrity looked clumsy, miserable and un-touchable

When I inquired where was Quality

She told me he has changed into Packing Case

Sealed with brand name and put on sale

‘He is no more his old self Pure Quality.

He simply changes into colors and moves on

I have been raped time and again in his presence

Everybody uses me as fashion of his time

I am continuing to lose my identity.

I noticed that the Rape did not figure

among the shocked words anywhere

I screamed, ‘where is assassination'

‘She is busy in operation ’, replied one innocent and harmless looking Word,

Crippled by upper and lower limbs both,

and neck drooping in weakness.

-She is rarely seen in the group of Languages now

Keeping human tendencies in her grip she lives under the protection of involved persons.

She may dictate anybody to become killer whenever she wanted

Justice is in her custody now.”

Then introduced himself –‘I am Amity , here.

I tried my best to build up friendship and brotherhood

But the Society has used me as Mask

Planted me like ammunition

I am totally broken

No use to take me to any doctor now

If you can arrange one head for me along with arms and legs which could be easily detached

I can muster up the strength of a punch in me.

Those who pushed me forward

They were a few Prefix and Suffixes .

Some says he is Dialogue; the other says he is communication

And some said she was An Appeal.

But the communication has entirely his personal problems

While the Dialogue wants to get established

The Appeal has faced rejections many times

No one was capable to create a climate for Friendship

I got perturbed

I spoke to my Language in secret

I had an argument even.

On one occasion she stripped me naked by her domestic abuses

Then threw me out in the street in presence of neighbors with street-words

I was surrounded by sarcastic words from all sides

My soul bore deep marks of abuses on it.

My own language seasoned by experience of changing professions and assisted by other languages from neighborhoods and across the country, advised me thus-

If you want to be up-to-date you have to face these challenges

The conscience shall have to be grown like potatoes in the field.

Why should you visit cemetery everyday?

And bring these dead bodies with you?

Sit quietly like a gentleman

If you try to interfere too much you will get killed, that is another danger

You are struggling yourself to live

And you are trying to revive them, why?

A new character is in fashion these days

very convenient to handle

which tells you to remain tactfully mute

Don’t you ever believe that Defector, he is a politician.

Mr Avatar incarnate is exploring his own possibilities.

Don’t go after the dead characters

Look for the one, who is active with time speed,

Who can influence you at one go

And who can dare say continuously – watch and wait

But will never disclose who was there to watch and wait

And what patience was needed to achieve that

After all, how long it deserved waiting?

Until and unless the other part also reciprocates

The Defector will never tell you

To unite your strength with experience and talent

And to watch and wait only those who is advancing towards you.

The greater a person's capacity to hold power

The more capable he is to survive all times.

The eunuch are born in all ages

Why should the Common Genders worry?

They are in use even today.

And tell sanctity not to adopt harlot's character

How long she will contain them individually

When all of them want to woo her.

You had raised much uproar,

What has become of the faith who broke values?

Why the Rape will not be encouraged this way?

It is also committing the same breach of faith

He is also at par in breaking some value

And don’t call it is murder but resistance, which everybody has to put-up for survival.

Translation into English by Govind Prasad Bahuguna