The Shared Mirror

Black black Sun

Blackish Sun

Blackness blackness Sun

The Sun of the winning path

 

          The Sun of charms

          The beautiful Sun

          The beautiful Sun

          The Sun of the leaf sandals

 

The Sun of the sowing season

The Sun of the dark clouds

The Sun of rain drops

The little Sun

The Sun singing lullabies

In the eyes of the corn

 

          The Sun on the food basket slung from the beam

          The Sun in the clay pot

          The Sun of beef curry

          The Sun of cold food

 

The Sun who dances

In the thatched hut

 

          The Sun of the ear of corn

          The toddy tapping Sun

          The matangi¹ Sun

          The gosangi¹ Sun

 

The Sun who smiles in the cockleshell mirror

The Sun who dances wearing snail-shell anklets

 

          The Sun of charms

          The beautiful Sun

          The beautiful Sun

          The untouchable Sun

 

The Sun who was burnt to ashes alive

The Sun who rose from the ashes blazing

The Sun who bled on the fields of Karamchedu

The Sun who learns to walk on the path of blood

The Sun in the gunny sack on the waves of the Tungabhadra²

 

          The Sun who befriends

          Swarnamma³of the sweat drops

          The Sun who gives his heart

          To the crescent moon Yesanna³

 

The Sun of the flaming spark in Alisamma's⁴ vows

The Sun of righteous sharpness

In Anil Babu's⁵ eyes

The Sun of the army of ants in the Sikkolu⁶ hills

The Sun who swims against the flood of the Godaari⁷

Shambhuka's decapitated head like Sun

The Sun of Ekalavya's chopped thumb

The handsome Sun with the index finger

 

The Sun of twilight

The moon like Sun

The Sun of the blue flag

The Sun of black gemstones

 

          The brave Sun

          The Sun of daggers

          The Sun of tears

          The Sun of timeless wisdom

 

The Sun who has bloomed

On the righteous path of Dhamma

The brave Sun

The Sun of the winning path

 

My translation of the Telugu poem 'nallaaTi suuriiDu' by K. G. Satyamurthy ('Sivasagar'); from his collection of poetry 'Sivasagar kavitvam'.

The poet says this poem is a continuation of his efforts to define 'daLita soundarya Sastramu' or Dalit aesthetics.

[1] matangi and gosangi: a reference to the Madigas; gosangi also refers to cobblers, ascriptive occupation of the Madigas. 

[2] Tungabhadra: a reference to the Tungabhadra canal of the Krishna irrigation system which supplies water to farms in parts of Guntur district. Here, the poet talks about the mutilated bodies of the Dalits killed in the Chunduru massacre (1991) which were wrapped in gunny sacks and thrown into the Tungabhadra canal.  

[3] Swarnamma and Yesanna: some common names among Dalits in Coastal Andhra. The poet could also be referring to the Dalits' role in labour (Swarnamma is derived from 'swarNamu' which means gold or wealth or its production, in general); yEsanna refers to Jesus Christ, or spiritual liberation.

[4] Alisamma: was a key witness in the Karamchedu massacre (1985) as her own son Duddu Vandanam was also killed in the massacre. The courageous woman had braved many threats and inducements to speak about the killings in many public meetings and was ultimately also murdered, two years after Karamchedu.

[5] Anil Babu: Kommerla Anil Kumar was a witness in the Chunduru massacre. Balagopal, the human rights activist, had written: Anil Kumar was 'an articulate young dalit who survived the massacre of August 6 to give a graphic account of the incident but was shot dead by the police on September 10 in the course of an attempt by the latter to remove a hunger strike camp set up by the daiits at Chundur.'

[6] Sikkolu hills: Srikakulam; this is a reference to the one of the earliest Naxal movements.

[7]: Godaari: The river Godavari.  

I shall stand

on the gallows

and indulge

in daydreams

 

Another world

whispers endearments

on the swing

of my dreams

 

I shall stand

on the gallows

and envision

sweet dreams

 

My sweet dreams

shall come true

and the whole world

shall smile

 

The red army

shall open its wings 

and spread

in all directions

 

The fearless

red army

shall achieve

liberation

 

The wind

from the villages

shall encircle

the cities

 

It shall

build graves

for evil spirits

and demons

 

I shall stand

on the gallows

and gaze

upon another world

 

History

shall bring down the curtain

on this inhuman

world

 

On the Himagiri*

of humanity

the red flag

shall fly

 

From the great flames

of the revolution

the new man

shall rise

 

In

the Kalahari desert

new lilies

shall bloom

 

I shall stand

on the gallows

and sing

the radiant song

 

I shall place

my neck on the executioner's block

and play the lute

of the universe

 

The seven seas

as one

shall sing

the universal song

 

The camaraderie

of the hammer and the sickle

shall show

the path of light

 

Holding the sun

in his palm

the peasant

shall plough the field

 

The moon 

in the factory

shall spin

the wheel

 

The worker

of the clenched fist

is the helmsman

of the new world!

 

The glorious

worker

is the wearer 

of the crown of stars!

 

I shall stand

on the gallows

and indulge

in daydreams

Another world

whispers endearments

on the swing

of my dreams

 

Friends!

Don't spill

your tears

for me!

 

Don't forget

the struggle!

Don't give up

the red flag

 

Hold fast to

the gun in your hand

with

great caution!

 

My blood

shall not go to waste

My death

shall not go to waste

 

In the pond

of my blood

a new world

shall bloom

 

The music of life

shall be heard

in the presence

of my death

I shall adorn

my neck with the noose

and hail the revolution!

I shall hail victory!

I shall stand

in the face of death

and sing the song of life!

I shall sing the song of new life!

 

…………………………………………….

…………………………………………….

Farewell! Farewell!

Farewell to the gallows!

 

Farewell to the noose!

Prison wall! Farewell!

Serpent hood! Farewell!

…………………………………………….

…………………………………………….

 

Farewell……..Fa………………….

…………………………………re…….

…………………………………………well!

Fa………………………………………….

 

My translation of the Telugu poem 'uri paaTa' by K. G. Satyamurthy ('Sivasagar'); from his collection of poetry 'Sivasagar kavitvam'.

*Himagiri: The Himalayas. 

Written in May, 1972. The poet says he composed it when two guerilla activists, bahujan peasants, Bhoomaiah and Kishta Goud were sentenced to death. 

 

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.     

Mother!

Why do you stand near that grave

And weep like that? 

Why do you grieve so alone,

Sobbing uncontrollably? 

 

The son you raised and who fought for you

Is no longer in that grave.

Instantly, he had shaken himself awake

Rose from the grave and taking up his weapon,

Returned to the battlefield

 

Mother! Wipe your eyes

And bless the struggle. 

 

My translation of the Telugu poem 'ammaa!', from the collection of poetry 'Sivasagar Kavitvam', by K. G. Satyamurthy ('Sivasagar').

Written in July 1972 when the leader of the Naxalbari movement, Charu Mazumdar, was martyred in police custody.

Honourable Justice!

The Sunrise is not a conspiracy

The Sun is not a conspirator

Are the pregnant woman's labour pains a conspiracy?

What will you call the progress of the chariot of history?

 

Honourable Justice!

The demoniac feudalism that tucks the earth,

Rolled like a mat, into its armpits is a conspiracy

The comprador's treachery

That sells my country to foreign powers is a conspiracy

The peace pact signed

At Kosygin's leprous feet is a conspiracy

There's a plot

In the food that Nixon's ships bring

Indian independence is a conspiracy

The ballot box is a conspiracy

'Garibi hatao' is a conspiracy

Indira's smile is a conspiracy

The arrogance in the half closed eyes of the shastra of injustice,

Lying in ambush to hang the Sun, harbours a conspiracy

Honourable Justice!

The Srikakulam dawn is not a conspiracy

The guerilla Sun is not a conspirator

Isn't Sunrise the tearing down of darkness?

Isn't Sunrise the sharing of warmth and light among the people?

 

Honourable Justice!

You're very..just

In unjust destruction, as just as Yama.

 

My translation of the Telugu poem ''kuTradaaru' vaaj~nmuulam', from the collection of poetry 'Sivasagar Kavitvam', by K. G. Satyamurthy ('Sivasagar').

Written in June 1973, this was the poet's testimony in the court as an accused ('conspirator') in the Parvathipuram Conspiracy case.

Waves under watch!

Dreams that waves bear under watch!

The soft breeze like sitar music

That shows love for the waves under watch! 

 

The boats

That move on the waves under watch!

The sails of the boats under watch!

The whiteness of the sails of the boats under watch!

 

Waves over the gallows!

Waves behind the bars!

Waves in tears! Waves!

Waves in the jungle! Waves!

The people are the sea! The waves are the squad!

The waves are dear to the sea!

 

A knife to the throat of the waves!

New blood from the waves' wounds!

New blood from the waves' wounds

Under the hooves of the sea pirates' horses!

Pirates driving daggers into the ocean's heart

And drinking its blood! Sea Pirates!

Sons of the clay footed great demon

Bandits who roam freely on all shores! 

 

The waves wept

The great sad sea

The waves raised questions

A great roar filled the sea

The waves moved

A great wind all over the sea

Flames on the tips of the waves

An inferno in the sea

The waves moved

The waves roared

The waves wove circles

They touched shore after shore

They brought down the clay footed great demon

On a desert island.

 

Who can stop the waves?

Who can stop the sea?

Waves as the ocean's labour pains

 

Are poverty's dreams for tomorrow

Waves are the sea's sword

Waves are the sea's pen

Dawn full of waves

 

Waves waves waves

Inside you inside me

Waves

Dreams

That waves bear

Heads

With dreams chopped off 

 

Waves under watch!

Dreams that waves bear under watch!

The soft breeze like sitar music

That shows love for the waves under watch!

 

My translation of the Telugu poem 'alalu', from the collection of poetry 'Sivasagar Kavitvam', by K. G. Satyamurthy ('Sivasagar').

Written in May, 1971.

The poet says:

I recited this poem on the Visakhapatnam beach, standing in front of the roaring sea, in protest against the increased surveillance and harassment of members of 'ViRaSam' ('Viplava Rachayitala Sangham' or 'Revolutionary Writers' Association').'Waves' ('alalu' in Telugu) are the people, revolutionary poets. 'Dreams' ('kalalu' in Telugu) are the symbols of the revolution. 'Soft breeze like sitar music' is the people's revolutionary movement. Waves are also revolutionary squads. The 'clay footed great demon' is imperialism. 

Moonlight in the jungle

Stood upright

On the summit of the mountain of thought.

 

Now it shines

On the villages and deer

And streams.

 

In the great cold of repression

Wearing the steel armour of ideals

With its finger on the trigger  

It stands guard over unfolding history

All day and night.

 

It teaches people's power

The sword drill 

It cautions

Time.

 

Moonlight in the jungle!

Such beautiful moonlight!

Wearing the uniform of sacrifice

It lowers the clouds to the ground.

 

My translation of the Telugu poem 'aDavilO vennela', from the collection of poetry 'Sivasagar Kavitvam', by K. G. Satyamurthy ('Sivasagar').

The poet says he wrote this poem in 1985, sitting on the top of a hill in Bastar (then in Madhya Pradesh), during a period when he was a part of an Adivasi movement. 

 

 

Two eyes

          Only one vision

Two lips

          Only one silence

Two hands

          Only one form

Two lives

          Only one dream of revolution

I am the ashes

          She is the Phoenix

 

My translation of the Telugu poem 'Phoenix', from the collection of poetry 'Sivasagar Kavitvam', by K. G. Satyamurthy ('Sivasagar'). Written on August 12, 1987.

~~~

Red

The Kondagogus* are red

 

The gallows

wears a janeu.

It's a pandit

that offers sandhya vandana and chants vedas;

It is 

a lighthouse

in the heart of manu dharma;

It's the venom bearing fang

of the four-headed

Hindu serpent king;

In the shade of its hood

the Hawala-wallahs enact their orgies of greed.

Chalapathi, Vijayavardhanam

struggle in its venomous fangs !

You might disagree

but Sriman Gallows Shastri

has limitless love

only for the untouchables..!

 

My translation of the Telugu poem 'Chalapathi Vijayavardhanam', from the collection of poetry 'Sivasagar Kavitvam', by K. G. Satyamurthy ('Sivasagar').

Gantela Vijayavardhana Rao and Sathuluri Chalapathi Rao were a couple of Dalit convicts who had been sentenced to death by a court in Guntur in 1995. For more details, please read this news story.