Leter to the Sister! -Original poem in Maithili by Ramlochan Thakur

Original poem in Maithili by Ramlochan Thakur
Translated into English by Gajendra Thakur

Letter to the Sister



Sister!

I had received your letter

But there was delay in reply.

Why should I lie that

I was busy.



What to write and why to write,

That I could not decide,

Therefore this delay!



Sister !

I know that this year too

You might have made Sama-Chakeba.

And might have waited for me.

After Vrindaban set on fire.

Then not finding me

might have become sad.

Incessant tear might have flown from your eyes.



But Sister !

You believe it or not

It is true that

Any forest fire could not be controlled by

A water-filled jug and

That you have written,

True, I am changed, a lot.

I know that Vrindaban is

Not the same Vrindaban now,

Now not one,

But in numbers,

The slanderers have taken birth

And it is this Vrindaban,

The permanent abode of those.



The old hollowed trees have

Given shelter to the terrible poisonous snakes.



Today

there,

Even air is poisonous,

To inhale that air is also not advisable.



Therefore

In my opinion

It would be better if it is destroyed in fire,

trying to subdue the fire is not desirable,

Is misuse of strength,

That strength is to be preserved

For future.

When we would plant

Certainly would plant

A new Vrindaban

Would water it not from a reservoir

But with our sweat/ and would blossom

Flowers of many colours/ in consonance with our desire

Would give a new colour to our dreams.



Sister!

I believe/ and you’d believe too

That today/ in our own village we are all unknown-unknown

Having no identity,

Certainly the pain of it is unbearable,

But/ for that

It would not be appropriate to cry

But to recognize our own power,

And to overhear outside voice too and

To resolve

Then tomorrow – tomorrow

We would have an identity,

We the Vrindaban,

Our Vrindaban.