Poem - A Tale Of Woe

Radhey Nath Masarat  

[Tr. from Kashmiri by T.N. Kaul]

They bade us take seven steps across the Jhelum,

We did not utter a single word.

They made us ascend the Pir Panchal blind- folded,

We did not utter a single word.

They thrust nails of faith into our bosoms,

We crossed bloody torrents near our very doors.

Christ-like, we were hanged on the gibbet,

We did not utter a single word.

And then, a weak woman was sliced;

The sawyers were only doing their 'job',

How could we possibly object!

We did not utter a single word.

As seers, we believed in transmigration.

That is why tongues of fire ate up many

While the rest were bundled out.

We did not utter a single word.

When head-hunting became the order of the day

We preached a new 'ahimsa' to the world;

We held back our arms, offered our scalps.

We did not utter a single word.

Basically, our minds are rusted.

Why did we not shower praises when in dark-

ness they sifted 'chaff' from rice!

We did not utter a single word.

Today, when shrouds were being supplied

In the city for the dead, we dared not ask

Whether we too had been summoned.

We did not utter a single word.

The murmuring flames proclaimed that

One more family had been annihilated.

Newspapers said they were innocent,

We did not utter a single word.

We were tongue-tied, what could we do?

Shakuni and Daryodhan ruled the roost.

They cast the die and we were lost,

We did not utter a single word.

Who says we should have spoken out,

If only to avoid feeling calumniated ?

But who was there to hear our tale of woe?

We did not utter a single word.

[Tr. from Kashmiri by T.N. Kaul]

DISCLAIMER:                                                                                                                                                                                               The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article.                                                   

Courtesy: Koshur Samachar: May, 1991

16   Radhey Nath Masarat Lit-KS-01051991 Poem - A Tale Of Woe

Radhey Nath Masarat राधे नाथ मसर्रत

They bade us take seven steps across the Jhelum,

We did not utter a single word.

They made us ascend the Pir Panchal blind- folded,

We did not utter a single word.

They thrust nails of faith into our bosoms,

We crossed bloody torrents near our very doors.

Christ-like, we were hanged on the gibbet,

We did not utter a single word.

And then, a weak woman was sliced;

The sawyers were only doing their 'job',

How could we possibly object!

We did not utter a single word.

As seers, we believed in transmigration.

That is why tongues of fire ate up many

While the rest were bundled out.

We did not utter a single word.

When head-hunting became the order of the day

We preached a new 'ahimsa' to the world;

We held back our arms, offered our scalps.

We did not utter a single word.

Basically, our minds are rusted.

Why did we not shower praises when in dark-

ness they sifted 'chaff' from rice!

We did not utter a single word.

Today, when shrouds were being supplied

In the city for the dead, we dared not ask

Whether we too had been summoned.

We did not utter a single word.

The murmuring flames proclaimed that

One more family had been annihilated.

Newspapers said they were innocent,

We did not utter a single word.

We were tongue-tied, what could we do?

Shakuni and Daryodhan ruled the roost.

They cast the die and we were lost,

We did not utter a single word.

Who says we should have spoken out,

If only to avoid feeling calumniated ?

But who was there to hear our tale of woe?

We did not utter a single word.

[Tr. from Kashmiri by T.N. Kaul]

DISCLAIMER:                                                                                                                                                                                               The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article.                                                   

Courtesy: Koshur Samachar: May, 1991