Beef beef
The meat I have eaten since my cord was cut
The meat that has risen as bone of my bone
The meat that has raced as part of my blood;
When you drove me far from the village
When you found even my footprints untouchable
When you couldn't even see me as human
What stood by me
And brought me here was beef;
When you bragged, presenting your side,
Your forefathers drank ghee
Undertook many exploits and so on
It was only beef which stayed with me
Stood by my side;
When its udders were squeezed and milked
You didn't feel any pain at all
When it was stitched into a chappal you stamped underfoot and walked
You didn't feel hurt at all
When it rang as a drum at your marriage and your funeral
You didn't suffer any blows
When it sated my hunger, beef became your goddess?
My translation of the Telugu poem 'goDDu mAmsam' by Digumarthi Suresh Kumar (from the collection of Madiga poetry 'kaitunakala danDem').
Tags: Digumarthi Suresh Kumar