sher-imdad-ali ka meDak

magar tang-nazar
matiyale talab mein

us adh-khile kanwal par
wo bahaar thi

jo dekhne wali aankhon mein dhanak khilati hai
phir pani ka bulawa alag tha

sher imdad ali's frog
is sahirana kashish se haar kar

apna tahmad utar kar
wo murda pani mein kud pade

jal-kumbhi se uljhe
to hafte ashre ke hamal ke manind

narm aur kham saron wale
gul guthne

(sadakar medakon ke
dum-dar bachche)

shark lahron ke shor
se dar ke

farfar har taraf bhag khade hue
aur sher-imdad-ali galle galle pani mein the

aur kanwal dur tha
but in the narrow-looking

muddy pond
that half open lotus

radiant with spring
flashed rainbows in perceptive eyes

and then, the allure of the water!
giving in to this magic pull

shedding his skimpy clothes
he leaped into dead water,

tangled in water weeds
bijli chamki

aur ek dum-dar aab-khor
us ghubare ki surat se

jis mein hawa bhari ho
aur hath se chhut jae

chhipkili ki talwar zaban ki tarah
san san karta hua

un ke khule munh ki surang mein utar gaya
like week-old fetuses

with their soft unripe heads,
the flaccid squishy

long-tailed children
of the noisy frogs

fearing the sound of the shark waves
fled, plop-plop, in every direction.

and sher imdad ali was in the water
up to his neck

and the lotus was far away.
din guzre

aur mausam badle
aur jug bit gae

lightning flashed
and one long-tailed water-child

rushed up like a blown-up balloon
that slips out of your hand

flashed like a lizard's sword-tongue
whistled through the air

popped down the tunnel of his mouth
ek aawaz taaqub karti rahti hai:

bahar aane do
is zindan se bahar aane do

darjanon doctron aur sarjanon ke
xray ki khunuk shuaon se

jal kar dekh liya
shahr badal kar

mulk badal kar dekh liya
magar lahu mein

wahi sada halkore leti hai
bahar aane do

is zindan se bahar aane do
days passed

seasons changed
ages ended.

a voice kept following him
'let me out,

let me out of this prison!'
he tried burning himself

in the cool x-rays
of dozens of doctors and surgeons

he tried
changing his city

changing his country
but the same voice rippled in his blood

'let me out,
let me out of this prison!

sher imdad ali
having violated

the water's trust
was locked up in his house

outside, the water surrounded him
and stood, and stayed.

sher-imdad-ali pani ki amanat ghasb kiye
apne ghar mein zanjir hue baithe hain

bahar pani khada hai
aur pani mein

pipal ke patton ki tarah
sale

khashmagin aankhon wale
pile pile medak

apna ghera dale
pade hue hain

and in the water, like pipal leaves
angry-eyed,

the bastards,
the yellow yellow frogs

camped
keeping the siege.


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