As one of the celebrated contemporary Nepalese poets Bhupin has his own influence in modern poetry. He has been writing from his hometown Chitwan. He has published poetry collection Supla Ko Hawaaijahaj and fiction Maidaro. Here, The Margin presents his poem "Sikka" translated by Jitendra Singh.
The Coin
With the coins released out of a broken piggy bank,
the son was figuring some beautiful images—
of flowers, rivers and the stars.
Accumulating those coins,
I wished to afford for him
A Home, beds and tiffin
I also wished to afford
his school costs, tie and pen.
I was worried—
As the coins released out of the piggy bank
Instantly disappear in the bazaar
as the pieces of meat in the mouth of crocodile.
Thinking he'd stop playing with the coins,
I made him draw some complicated picture—
And affirmed, 'Son, you'd better build the nation,
yeah, the nation with these coins instead!'
(You all already know how adverse it is to build a nation?)
But beyond expectation
Stirring his five-leaf clover
The son began drawing a fish-like shape of the country.
He created the Himalaya, the Mountain, the Terai…
The Mt. Everest, Lumbini, Rara…
And ultimately a school teacher carrying a stick.
It was left to become the Karnali
by joining the glistening coins,
Suddenly No more coins were left there
there were No other coins
But still it was left to become a hospital, school and home for him.
It was yet to become—
a playground,an office to work and a boarder
not to be encroached by the neighbors.
The son seemed solemn and somber.
That very night, I had a nightmare dream,
the son was flying abroad
promising to come back
by earning the insufficient coins.
यदि तपाईंसँग कुनै लेखरचना वा मूलधारका मिडियाबाट किनारीकृत मुद्दा तथा विषयहरू छन् भने हामीलाई [email protected] मा पठाउनुहोस् ।
