A World Created By The Powerful By Seifu Metaferia In Hindi/Urdu Translation Poem by Ravi Kopra

vo kehtay hain: yahan aao! wahan jaao!
bandook paas hoti hai un k
lafzon ko bal dene k liyay.
'kripya, muje wahaN le jaoo! "
vo kehtay hain
su-sanskriti aur dhamki ko milaatay huay
donoN ka antar mitaatay huay

shaktimaan log
haan, zindgi ek thanda jhonka hai
lakin ek waqt tha jab bhumi hamari thee
saari, mili hui
hazaaroN tukDon main na kaati hui
juDi hui
aur hum ko gallay laga leti thee
chahay hum kaalay thay ya goray thay.


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A World Created by the Powerful
Seifu Metaferia

Translated from the Amharic by Alemu Tebeje & Chris Beckett

They say "come here! go there! "
with a gun
to emphasize their words
"just drive me, please! " they say
mixing polite and threatening
because they like to blur distinctions —
the powerful
yes, life itself is a cold draught
but once upon a time our earth was ours
one unit, whole
not cut up in a thousand pieces
not spoiled like she is now
before things got so messed up
she was just herself
and hugged us all no matter
if our skin was black or white