~Krishna Sen ‘Ichchhuk’
Translation : Mary Deschene
If within you lies
a human heart
If within that heart
life’s pulse does beat
Then come,
come once
enter upon
my traumatized courtyard / come
Come,
come once
walk beneath
my anguished thatch / come
I am the house of Setu Jaisi,
lifeless, unbreathing
I am the house of Setu Jaisi
inert, unsensing
And yet, with me
a pool of their fresh blood
their sign / carry it with you
With me
a ray of their red consciousness
their veins / carry it with you
I am the house of Setu Jaisi,
lifeless, unbreathing
I am the house of Setu Jaisi
inert, unsensing
If within you lies
a human mind
If within that mind
passion does burn
Then come,
come once
up to Melagairi / come
Come,
come once
onto their sacrificial pyre
and look:
Upon my chest
savage naked dance
of barbarians / look
Look
upon heads of cruel executioners
the crown
of shameless ‘democracy’ / look
Jungle rule
of man-eating cowards
hunting innocent people
house-to-house / look
I am the house of Setu Jaisi,
unmoving, undesiring
I am the house of Setu Jaisi
mute, unknowing
And yet, with me
bloody archive of their sacrifice
inscribed by their fresh blood / look
With me
golden page of a new history
engraved by their courage / look.
I am the house of Setu Jaisi
unmoving, undesiring
I am the the house of Setu Jaisi
mute, unknowing
Though from afar
bloodstains go unseen
blood-soaked Sbaang and Hukaam
can be seen
bullet-ridden Kaankri and Chunwaang
can be seen
Coming and going
even from the very midst
of harsh terror and traumas
everywhere along the way
For you
like a sunray bursting
through monsoon cloud
sparkling smiles of Syaarpu and Lotus lakes
can be seen
fighting the counter currents of these times
wind borne brave salutes
of magnolia and rhodedendrun
standing sentry for the new age
can be seen
If within you lies
a human dream
If within that dream
are plans of beauty
for a shining future
Then come,
come once
into these distressed hours
Come,
come once
into this stunned, silence-drenched and wounded moment
and by the sweet touch
of your clear consciousness
arouse their beautiful dreams
and here in revolution’s bower
in its boundless blazing womb
stoke the undying sacred fire
of your journey of liberation
I am the house of Setu Jaisi
lifeless, unbreathing
I am the house of Setu Jaisi
unmoving, undesiring
And yet, within me
desire to embrace
the very peaks of revolution,
Sisne and Jaljala.
I am the historic house of Setu Jaisi
pure memorial place
of sacrificed martyrs!
****************
composed 15 Baisakh, 2053
Original title: Setu Jaisiko Ghar,(READ HERE)
Original publication: Kalam 11, Baisakh 2053, pp. 28-29.
*On 15 Phalgun, 2052 six unarmed youths were killed by security forces in Setu Jaisi’s house in Melagairi village of Pokhara VDC, Rukum District. Ichchhuk (Krishna Sen), was tortured and beaten to death in custody by the security forces on 13 Jestha, 2059.
