Maya: Inscription Of Infancy Poem by Kanishka SricharanPratap

Inscription
Of Infancy
Can be read today,

No trace shall remain
Everything will be
Wiped out one day!
.................................
..................................

Offered flowers
Offered kisses
Gifted house of sand,

Accepted flowers
Accepted kisses
Died and was finished!
...
...
In fake Bride-game:
Accept the moon
Accept the star
Decorate the hair,

Write letters
Tear out letters
Break my mind!
...
...
You sing
I sing
The cuckoo sings too,

Who knows
What is
Written in the song?
...
...
Whose clay-slate
Did you receive?
Whom did you
Give tin-slate?

Received
My brass-mind!
Offered
Your gold-mind!
...
...
Slow-flowing water
Cuts the stone
Where is it written?

I cut your heart
You are not seen!
...
...
Tiny star-flowers
You gave
Gave to me
Drew on the paper,

Dripped and dripped...
On infancy's village road
Dripped as the moon!
...
...
You revolve
In whirlpool
You revolve...
So do I!

How to return
We lost our way!
...
...
We turned into
Tuan and Tuin
Went into the jungle,

For fear of uncle-tiger
The heart trembled...

We lost the way
While plucking berries!
...
...
My ball rolled down...
Your ball rolled down...

No one won
No one lost
Where was goal scored?
...
...
You climbed
I climbed
We broke
The blackberry branch,

In the middle of
Branch-monkey game
You disappeared!
...
...
Today it's far away
The wedding of dolls!

It was lost...
We disappeared...
Where were buried all?
...
...
Game of Jumping stone
Was over...
Stone was lost,

Who searched
Hither and thither
The jungle
And the mountain?
...
...
One day waves broke
Someone's sand-house!

Grey crane flew away
Shedding this feather!
...
...
Kite flew away and away...
Thread
Was cut off the spindle,

Whose champak-finger
For whose love
Tied together?
...
...
No
The story is not over,
Flower-plant has not died!

The tale
Of old she-monster
How much true?
How much false?
...
...
'Puchi' got hidden
In someone's ignorance
Feet slipped off,

With trembling heart
Trembling mind
Who nestled into my arms?
...
...
'Chaiti horse' dances
You, the horse rider
Pulled the bridle,

Thick dense forest
The untrodden road
Where did you
Lead me to?
...
...
Where lies the knot
Of the tales?
Sit and make me sit!

In the story of 'Ramaprick'
You prick me and laugh?
...
...
Someday
On the bank of a pond
You asked for a blue lily,

Diving into the water
I am plucking the flower
Plucking and plucking...
There is no end to it!
...
...
You fear
I fear
When we talk about ghosts
We are afraid,

In the night of 'Kuanra Punei'
Today
We both are scarecrows!
Who will guard
And to whom?
...
...
Storm returned in its way
Breaking the fair
In the middle,

Who needed whom?

Hand slipped off the hand
Before one could catch!
...
...
Once in rain
Hail-stones
I picked up...
No, you were not!

Like a 'Rani' flower
Moonlight fell
You went laughing
Making me weep!
...
...
Not only
Mind has leaned
It has melted too!

If branch bends down
With flowers
Can we stay any more?
...
...
On the bank of the pond
With fishing-rod
I caught fish one day,

"When shall you catch
The thing to be caught? "
You whispered into my ears.
...
...
The veil of fog
The anchal of stream
The village beyond the hill,

In the narrow lane
Surrounded by
'Ketaki' flowers
Your name has been written!
...
...
Who floats for whom
In the sea of tears?
Floats and floats...

Deep inside the water
Day and night
Searches for the pearl.
...
...
Blossom of which branch?
Raw-fruit of which?

You are the dark-moon
Of the night!
I am the filigree of star!
...
...
I am plucking
Jujube leaf...
You are plucking
Lawn grass!

Who will bring
When
The unravished rice?
Who will chant the Mantra?
...
...
In the corn field
Of the river-islet
I turned into a scarecrow
To stare at the soft morning,

You changed your dress
In the bathing ghat!

The golden sunray I am!
I scattered
On your naked body!
...
...
If there is wattle
Mud can cover it...
Mud and wattle house
Is beautiful!

Who is wattle here?
I am the mud!
You are not seen at all!
...
...
Twilight...
Don't you remember?
You came across me
In the 'Pheshi' plant field,

In the blue wave
Of the flower-sea
Where did you float?
Embracing me!
...
...
The crow ate
Ripe mango
Lich in squirrel's mouth,

I was staring
Almost in a trance...
You called from behind!
...
...
I plucked guava
By using catapult
Plucked mango with a stick,

When I tried to make
A bamboo-hook
To pluck Bel fruit
You said:
"Now cock lay eggs! "
...
...
Since the early morning
The barllet bird
Has been jumping
From branch to branch,

That you are pasting
Your body with turmeric
It speaks out the same!
...
...
"I will tie Rakhee"
You spoke,
But you did not do it!

"Will you take vermilion? "
I asked,
You showed your forehead!
...
...
''As Ravan belongs to
Mandodari -the queen"
Someone poured
The 'Mahuli' liquor!

I was in waking-sleep
Someone shot the arrow!
...
...
I drew a bird
You put food
Into her beak!

I painted a fairy
You unveiled her!
...
...
I have kept berry-pickle
Inside my mind,

In our next life
O, dear!
Everything will be yours!
...
...
"Mongoose is basking...'
You gestured by winking!

My tickling glee you are!
Stealthily
You took
And gave something!
...
...
Stringed the garland
With red 'Kaincha' seed...
Can I string it now?

The thing that you gave
In the distant evening
Tell...
Can you give the same now?
...
...
You said someday:
For my sake
Touch me not
The wind blows!

For my sake
Kiss me not
The moon has bent!
...
...
How lovely and red
Your nails
By 'Rangani' flower
And palms
By 'Manjuati'!

A bird of which branch!

I fly away...
And back again...
Tell me
When to touch?
...
...
Why did you go away?
Who withdrew his hand?

Again you disappeared!
I fail to find!
...
...
Bathed with milk
In which pitcher?
Offered how many
Bel leaves?

On the night
Of Shiva Ratri
Offered which
Gajara garland
On his phallus?
...
...
Who is whose shadow?

I am behind you...
You are behind me...

There is no end to the race!
...
...
Don't gather
Dry leaves
Any more,

After the winter
Another year!
We can't get
Warmth of fire!
...
...
The far off station
Is no more visible
Everything is shrouded
In fog!

Which one is engine?
Which one is bogey?
The train moves on!
...
...
When did we fly?
It touched the clouds
My balloon...!
Your balloon...!

Who is unwanted today?
Counts the feather
Of flying bird?
Whose heart is empty?
...
...
The moon is
In your uncle's sky
I have no uncle's house!

You, the blue-moon
In my empty sky
Rise with shyness!
...
...
"Red dragonfly eludes"
You told me,
But I caught one day!

"You possess Krishna's art
Sixteen anna! "
Said again
Don't you remember?
...
...
You will ride she-horse
I know... sure
Neither on she-deer
Nor on she-elephant,

Neither the horse
Nor the hare
I shall ride a bull.
...
...
The untimely storm
Shall rush
Heart will tremble!

There may be lightning
Somewhere
Somewhere thunder bolt!
...
...
In the "Agira Punei"
Full-moon night
Fire burns... fire burns...

Which fruit you burnt?
I burnt fruit too!

Before we could taste
Our fruits are stolen!
...
...
"Maiden-squirrel
O, maiden...!
You stay,
I am going in rage! "
Who will think-
Who had said?

Today I go... truly...

Seek you not...
Weep you not
If not we met in this birth!
...
...
A boatful of dreams
I floated
You carry in paper-boat,

The lost infancy
The sweet-lies
Return with fragrance!
...
...
Translated from Odia by
Tarun Kumar Sahu