AGONY OF TREE: A RAJASTHANI POEM BY MEENAKSHI PAREEK: ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY RAJNI CHHABRA

 AGONY OF TREE

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Listen! Listen!

O human -beings 

Listen to me for a moment!

What is my fault

That whenever you feel like

You start cutting me with saw

Entrapped in excessive greed

Keep on cutting me

Don't cut me

I, too, feel pain

I  am rooted silently

To a fixed place

Viewing this universe flourishing

Neither, I pass any comments

Nor do interfere 

I have feeling of brotherhood for all

I don't spare any efforts 

To shower  my affection

Then, why do you cut me

And cause partition with affection of 

This nature and earth

With my moist forehead

I offer pleasantness to all

I invite drops of rain

Waving my hands

From my own being 

Irrigating 

I produce plenty of fruits and flowers

Offer shade to travellers

Walking in scorching heat

Why you sing in praise of me

If you have to cut me with saw

I provide you life-saving oxygen

So that you can live comfortably

Even after my death

I leave behind

Withered leaves, twigs 

And wood

I prove so useful to you

But, O human-beings

Your vicious circle of

Foolishness never stops

Stop for a while

Stop cutting trees

Observe all-around you

What an outcry

Protector has become destroyer

Breathing fresh air is a challenge now

Try to realize your mistake

If you don't feel your mistake

Utter destruction is sure-shot

Curse of nature will enhance

Better , you rectify yourself

Instead of being adamant on cutting trees

Start growing some plants.