Nation wears many masks those grin and lie,
They hide our crushed cheeks and hollow eyes, -
This price we pay for secular and socialist guile;
With hungry bellies and ghost frames we smile,
And lecture in high tone with false hug and cry.
Why should our leaders be less wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
No, we are only numbers to them, while
We too wear the mask high.
They smile, but, O Lord Krishna, on our cries
To see us hungry and naked, their souls arise.
We sing, but oh the soil beneath our feet is vile
But let this nation dream otherwise,
We wear the mask; and long the mile.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem