RAJASTHANI POEMS OF INDER SINGH RAJPUROHIT: ENGLISH VERSION BY RAJNI CHHABRA

RAJASTHANI POEMS OF INDER SINGH RAJPUROHIT

GOLDEN DAYS

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Around tree

Keep on revolving

Children of younger daughter

Making a noise

Without any reason

Colt of cow, tied with door outside

Is trying to break rope after seeing them

Mother starts singing hymns

Removing thick layer of cream

From curd, which she had left

To set at night

Beckons children to come to her

They come running 

To sit in lap of granny

With intention of relishing butter.

Cat sitting nearby 

Purrs on seeing butter in their hands

Children get scared on seeing

Teeth of cat

Mother moves bowl of buttermilk

Towards cat, showing her affection

Butter-like soft heart of mother

Lands in my eyes

It is my ill-luck only

That golden days never return

Golden days never return.

WAITING ENDLESSLY

*******************

 I keep roaming in vain

Roundabout about that room

In which, my mother used to live

This crazy heart of mine

Is not under my control

Keeps on peeping through

Chinks of the door

Unnecessarily, my ears 

Try to listen 

Coughing of my mother

My heart is craving

That my mother will call me now.

Now from nowhere is audible

Sweet language like that of mother

Again and again, I return empty-handed

Just as a starving bull

Strikes his head against empty vessel

Devoid of fodder

I, too, strike my head

Mother fed me with morsels so often

Making *Churma with her hands

My belly had its fill, but not my heart

Child hidden inside my heart

Standing near edge of door is still

Searching for mother, waiting endlessly.

* morsel:  a dish made by crushing chapatis, mixing sugar and ghee in it.