Poem By Biplav Dhakal (Translated from Nepali)

Soul of Ancestors

-Biplav Dhakal

Pundit Rajanikanth Sharma!

Whose house is this?

 

While offering flowers

To the dead relatives

While dropping the tears out

In memory of ancestors,

The thunder strike started!

 

What on earth is happening?

What’s here happening?

The great great grandfathers and grandmothers

Came into the present day yards,

Tearing the sky with swords

Searching the way among desert with axe;

And, asked for some place to live.

 

Oh, dear sons and daughters,

Lovely children

And bright future of humanity!

 

 

We came back to earth

All from the heaven and hell,

We became alive again

And returned by winning the death

Just because of your love!

 

Alas! Time flows like a river,

It seems like we remember something

Like we forget other things.

Haven’t you built any

New houses around?

Haven’t you paved any

New roads around?

These old houses and old roads

Were made by us!

Tell us, whose road is this?

Whose land is this, tell us?

 

Today we are treading

On the roads and ways

All made by ourselves!

Today we returned to

The nest we have built ourselves,

And discovered the way

With our own arms and weapons!

Oh, dear children,

Oh, house owner!

Please give us some food…

 

The ancestors came with their grassy crowns

On their heads,

Khukuris on their waists,

Big baskets of salt on their back,

Bows and arrows in their hands,

Spades and harrows on their shoulders,

With all the muddy feet;

Here the children and grandchildren

And their dear dear wives

Saw this great queue of early men

And become terrified and shocked,

Thus, shut the main door

And stay inside forever!

 

Pundit Rajanikanth Sharma

Whose house is this?

 

(Original Title in Nepali: Pitriharuko Aatma)

(Translated on: Jan 18, 2015)

(Biplav Dhakal is a renowned Nepali poet.)