The east wind prevails
The east turns red
India opens its eyes
And showers sparks of light! || The east wind blows
A bundle of cold food on the back
An axe in the hand
Mao Tse Tung on the mind
And the red banner in the heart
The peasant has risen!
The peasant roars
As the guerilla! || The east wind blows
As the current in the wind
As the water in the stream
As the fish in the water
As one among the people
The peasant has risen
The peasant sounds the battle conch
As the guerilla || The east wind blows
As a poisoned arrow in the enemy's heart
As a spear in the traitor's bed
As the fierce daring of the axe
That breaks the necks of the rich
Yours is the exemplary courage
Yours is the righteous battle! || The east wind blows
Let the machine guns ring
Let the toxic flames spread
Let many sorrows and burdens
Surround you and rage
You stand as a rock!
Yours is the high road!
Yours is the people's path! || The east wind blows
The east wind prevails
The east turns red
India opens its eyes
And showers sparks of light! || The east wind blows
My translation of the Telugu song 'tuurpu pavanam viicenOy' by K. G. Satyamurthy ('Sivasagar')– from his collection of poetry 'sivasagar kavitvam'. Written in 1968.
The poet says:
This is the first song I had written during my journey in the revolutionary movement. It conveys the message of the slogan, 'The east wind prevails over the west'. This was a slogan of Chinese communist party during the Cultural Revolution. The slogan and the song express the aspiration that the east wind, or the gathering revolution, should prevail over the west; that the eastern nations- Asia, Africa, South America- should subdue Europe and the west.
Tags: Sivasagar