SUMMER VACATIONS: A RAJASTHANI POEM BY ABHILASHA PAREEK: ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY RAJNI CHHABRA

 SUMMER VACATIONS

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

Those summer vacations have vanished

That merriment of summer-vacations is lost

Ushering of maternal grandmother has disappeared 

Affectionate cuddling of grandmother have disappeared

Those summer-vacations.....

After departure of maternal grandmother

Where has gone tune of beating on drum

Children gaining weight due to milk and cream

Where has gone that persuasion by her

In peak noon, blazing winds

Where has gone shade of *Kerunda tree

Hitting with stones on mango tree

Where has gone that gang of naughty children 

Drooling 

On the very sight of melons and watermelons

Where has that saliva gone

Picking in plenty *kakriya-kheera

Sucking mango-seeds

Where has gone that notion of pleaders

*Choupadh -pasa, snake and ladder

Where have disappeared those *Goutiyan-kodiyan-and ladders

Sprinkling water on hot terrace

Cooling down beddings

Sound of flash of light

Beholding stars in midnight

Sound of barking of dogs

Fresh morning breeze and wee hours

Where have these vanished

Where have evanesced those summer-vacations?

Where has evanesced that merriment of summer-vacations?

*Kerunda: cranberry jelly

* Choupadh -pasa: a traditional ludo game 

*  Goutiyan-kodiyan : coins and dice in Choupadh