Translated from the Bengali by Jaydeep Sarangi

Untouchable

The man runs out
To write a poem on fire
Disregarding the inequality
He runs in the main street like God
I ask him, who is he?
He replies, I’m Shambok
The Untouchable.

__

Near the Tree of Knowledge

The boy used to stumble since childhood
Now he is walking like a cheetah on yellow field
The boy who was afraid of riding a stair
Now riding toward the moon.
Now he is to destroy the blue moon
All prejudices.
We lost our homes long back
Still there is a pull
These deaths! These lives! Sadness!
Marks of blood.
Heart full of affinity, memories of forefathers
With all these sitting near the tree of knowledge.

__

Fairy Tales 

After the grinding of stones for whole day
Our grandfather used to tell us fairy tales
One prince and another princess
Separated by seven oceans and thirteen rivers
Long long way away
Our seven brothers and sisters
Used to look at each other
Under the moon shine
But when our mother cooked two pieces of roti
Tears flooded her cheeks
Moon shine was vanished.

__

Song of Breaking Shackles

I am surrounded by stones
Broken temples
Dilapidated houses.
I am surrounded by blind lanes
Untouchable beggars
Hunger
And birth and death
Disrespect everywhere
Injustice
Oppression
In the midst of that
Struggle for survival
And song of breaking shackles.

__

Accompanying artwork by Jithinlal n r