Translation: Swadesh Rana (Poetry)

Swadesh Rana

UPON DRIED UP LEAVES

(English version by of Swadesh Rana's Hindi poem Sookhe Patte)

Upon dried up leaves beneath my feet.
For a silent stroll alone unto far.
Away from swarming, scattering thoughts.
I am longing now to walk beyond
A milestone I never saw before.

The earth and skies are meeting again
Not far from where I am already.
But my journey was long and steps are slower.
I am longing now for faster speed
To be held in the arms of an eager horizon.
Many a stories I keep recalling
Of darling damsels with irresistible airs.
Of fulfilled promises and shattering betrayals.
I am longing now to get adorned
For lovely loneliness as a companion.
With every moment accompanying me
To push ahead with brisker movement
And mileposts beckoning unseen miracles.
I am longing now to avert a tornado
Through an awareness drenched in heavy downpours.

My mendicant soul declines to guide
A wayward mind that pulls me away
From becoming a healer or a cuddler.
I am longing now to just deep breathe
Before leaving behind any alien aspirations.

For a silent stroll alone unto far.
Away from swarming, scattering thoughts.
I am longing now to walk upon.
The dried up leaves beneath my feet.

Setu, February 2019