Translation: Kedarnath Singh

Kedarnath Singh has around 500 poems to his credit, but the translation of his poems are few and far between. Our attempt at translating his poems seek to bridge this gap. It strives to capture different facets of his poetic oeuvre, and hopes to modestly convey the intricacy of his creative skill and craft into English. - Himanshi Pandey and H. S. Komalesha

Kedarnath Singh's Hindi poetry, translated by Himanshi Pandey, and H.S. Komalesha

Jnanpith (2013) award winner Hindi poet ‘Kedarnath Singh’ is the key sign of contemporary poetry. He was born in ‘Chakia’ village in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh in 1934. He completed his masters degree in 1956 from Banaras Hindu University. He acquired his PhD degree in 1964. He taught in many colleges and retired as head of the department, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. He composeed many books of poetry and prose. In the poetry of Kedarnath Singh, we saw a conflict between village and city. Coming from a rural background, he continued his literary journey in culture of urban cities. His major works include: ‘अभी बिल्कुल अभी’ , ‘जमीन पक रही है’, ‘यहाँ से देखो’, ‘अकाल में सारस’, ‘उत्तर कबीर और अन्य कविताएँ’, ‘बाघ’, ‘तॉल्सताय और साइकिल’. Beside Jnanpith, he was honoured by many other awards such as Sahitya Academy Award for 'akal me saras' in 1989, Maithlisharan Gupt Award, Kumar Ashaan award (kerala), Dinkar Award, Jeewan Bharti Samman (Odissa), Vyaas Samman and many more.

मातृभाषा जैसे चींटियाँ लौटती हैं बिलों में कठफोड़वा लौटता है काठ के पास वायुयान लौटते हैं एक के बाद एक लाल आसमान में डैने पसारे हुए हवाई-अड्डे की ओर ओ मेरी भाषा मैं लौटता हूँ तुम में जब चुप रहते-रहते अकड़ जाती है मेरी जीभ दुखने लगती है मेरी आत्मा

Mother Tongue Just as ants return to their colonies; and the woodpecker to the woods; as the planes –stretching their wings in the red sky – return one after the other to the hangar; I return to you my mother tongue whenever long silence chokes my throat and grief devours my soul.

Taken from the collection Akal Mein Saaras published in 1988.

बसन्त और बसन्त फिर आ रहा है शाकुन्तल का एक पन्ना मेरी अलमारी से निकलकर हवा में फरफरा रहा है फरफरा रहा है कि मैं उठूँ और आस-पास फैली हुई चीज़ों के कानों में कह दूँ 'ना' एक दृढ़ और छोटी-सी 'ना' जो सारी आवाज़ों के विरुद्ध मेरी छाती में सुरक्षित है मैं उठता हूँ दरवाज़े तक जाता हूँ शहर को देखता हूँ हिलाता हूँ हाथ और ज़ोर से चिल्लाता हूँ – ना...ना...ना मैं हैरान हूँ पटरी से चलते हुए मैंने कितने बरस गँवा दिये और दुनिया से कहते हुए हाँ हाँ हाँ...

Spring And here again comes spring a page of Shakuntala flutters coming out from my almirah asks me to rise and say no in the ears of the  things that are spread around to say no a stern and simple-no that’s contrary to all the voices and is locked in my heart I rise come forth to the door take a glance at the city wave my hand and scream No no no it’s strange that I lost several years strolling by the streets telling the world Yes yes yes..

Taken from the collection Yahaan Se Dekho, published in 1983

एक पुरबिहा का आत्मकथ्य (गीता शैली में) पर्वतों में मैं अपने गाँव का टीला हूँ पक्षियों में कबूतर भाखा में पूरबी दिशाओं में उत्तर वृक्षों में बबूल हूँ अपने समय के बजट में एक दुखती हुई भूल नदियों में चंबल हूँ सर्दियों में एक बुढ़िया का कंबल इस समय यहाँ हूँ पर ठीक समय बगदाद में जिस दिल को चीर गई गोली वहाँ भी हूँ हर गिरा खून अपने अंगोछे से पोंछता मैं वही पुरबिहा हूँ जहां भी हूँ।

An Autobiography of an Eastern Wind (Following Gita) Among the mountains I am a mound of my village and among birds, a pigeon In languages, I am oriental and in direction, north among the trees, a Babool and in my time stock an entry of a sad mistake amidst rivers, I am Chambal and in winters, a warm rug of an old hag At this moment, I am here but exactly at this time I reside in the heart ripped apart by guns in Baghdad I am there as well wiping each drop of blood from my towel I am the same Eastern wind wherever I blow.

Taken from the collection Srishti Par Pehera pubhished in 2014.

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Translators' Bio:

Himanshi Pandey is a research scholar working in the area of Poetry Translation in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India.
Email: pandey.himanshiapr@gmail.com


H.S. Komalesha is the author of Issues of Identity in Indian English Fiction published by Peter Lang, Oxford. Sahitya Akademi, the Academy of Letters in India has published two of his English translations: Anupama Niranjana (2008) and Rashtrakavi Kuvempu (2014). He teaches poetry and poetics in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India.
Email: hskomalesha@gmail.com

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 सेतु, सितम्बर 2018 :: Setu, September 2018