A Poem by Jayadratha Suna
Translated from the Odia by Pitambar Naik
The Nation
What exactly the nation means,
the milkmaid of the village, Mirkani,
doesn’t understand accurately—
the nation might be a plateful of rice
a glass of water or a bowl of chutney
no, no, the nation means a bulldozer
which can swallow a forest, a river
and a rivulet, in just one command
the nation might also be a lathi
that bludgeons innocent folks
fleeing the wrath of the pandemic.
In the name of safeguarding mothers,
the scoundrels strip other mothers
naked for an auction
and that can also be called the nation.
No, no the nation means a clean road
maybe half a pocket of Meghana beedi
or a matchbox that can set the forests,
houses and the earth on fire.
You get lost from here. Don’t try to
understand about the nation
nor should you squabble with the nation.
If the nation desires, it can even put
the young morning sun in the bag dangling from
its shoulder and glorify the deed.
And then you can metamorphose
into a true patriot who can't tolerate
a single word against the nation.
Oh, devout people, look! Who didn’t
know what the nation meant till yesterday
can now teach us what the nation is.
Oh, good people where your eyes are,
clap, ululate, and here ends the chapter.
Lathi: A cane used by a policeman
Meghana beedi: Tobacco filled in rolled leaf smoked in rural India
ଦେଶ
ଜୟଦ୍ରଥ ସୁନା
ଦେଶ କହିଲେ କଣ ଠିକ୍ ବାଗରେ ବୁଝି ପାରେନି
ମିଡକାନି ଗାଁ ର ନରେନ୍ ।
ଦେଶ ବୋଇଲେ ଗୋଟେ ଥାଳି ଭାତ
ଗୋଟେ ଗ୍ଲାସ ପାଣି
ନା ଗୋଟେ ପ୍ଲେଟ ଚଟଣି ।
ନା ନା ଦେଶ ବୋଇଲେ ଗୋଟେ ଡୋଜୋର୍ ମେସିନ
ଯିଏ ଗୋଟେ ଆଦେଶ ରେ ଗିଳିପାରେ
ଜଙ୍ଗଲ,ନଦୀ ଓ ଝର୍ଣା କୁ ।
ପାର୍କ ପାର୍କ ବୁଲି କିଛି ମଣିଷକୁ
ପିଟୁଥିବା ଠେଙ୍ଗା ବି ହେଇପାରେ ଦେଶ
ମାତାରକ୍ଷା ବାହାନାରେ କିଛି ମାଆଙ୍କୁ
ଉଲଗ୍ନ କରି ତାର ଇଜ୍ ତକୁ ନିଲାମ କରୁଥିବା
ଅବିବେକ ମନ ବି ହେଇପାରେ ଦେଶ ।
ନା ନା ଦେଢ଼ ବୋଇଲେ ଗୋଟେ ସ୍ୱଚ୍ଛ ସଡ଼କ
ଅଧା ପକେଟ ମେଘନା ବିଡି ଗୋଟେ ଦିଆସିଲି
ଯିଏ ଗୋଟେ ଆଦେଶରେ ଖେଦିପାରେ
ଜଙ୍ଗଲ,ଘର ,ପୃଥିବୀ ।
ତୁ ଯା ଏଠୁ ନିକୁଲ ,ଭାଗ, ପଲା
ଦେଶ ବିଷୟରେ ଜଣନା
ଦେଶ ସହ ଲାଗନା ।
ଦେଶ ଚାହିଁଲେ ଗଜା ବୟସର ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ ମାନଙ୍କୁ ବି
ଭରିପାରେ ତା ର କାନ୍ଦ ମୁଣିରେ
ବେଳ ପଡ଼ିଲେ ତାର ଜୟ ଜୟକାର ବି କରାଇପାରେ ।
ତା ପରେ ତୁ ହୁଏତ ପାଲଟି ଯାଇପାରୁ
ଜଣେ ସଛା ଦେଶ ଭକ୍ତ
ଯିଏ ପଦୁଟିଏ ବି ଶୁଣି ପାରେନି ଦେଶ ବିରୁଦ୍ଧରେ ।
ଦେଖ ହୋ ଭକତେ
କାଲି ଯାଏ ଯାହାକୁ ଦେଶ କଣ ମାଲୁମ ନ ଥିଲା
ଆଜି ଦେଶ କହିଲେ ତାକୁ ବୁଝାଏ
ହେ ଭକତେ ନଜର କୁଆଡେ ତୁମର
ମାର ତାଳି ପକାଅ ହୁଳହୁଳି
ଛାନ୍ଦ ସରିଆସିଲାଣି ।
Jayadratha Suna grew up in Kalahandi, Odisha in India. He started writing in 1997. He has two collections of poetry in Odia—Shosha and Niandhara. His awards include the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar (2018) conferred by India's National Academy of Letters and the Kalahandi Yuva Puraskar among others. He teaches at Pragati College, Bhawanipatna.
Suna possesses a radical poetic voice in contemporary Odia literature, writing about the plight of common people, particularly the Dalits and Adivasis of Odisha, who have been constantly targeted, attacked, and dehumanized under Hindutva for centuries. In his work, Suna portrays the devastating scenarios of their land, forest, and water resources, which are either forcibly occupied or encroached upon by the so-called high caste people, corporates or by the state machinery pushing them into perpetual poverty. The central theme of his poetry is the people, the environment where they live and their day-to-day struggles.
Pitambar Naik is an advertising copywriter. When he's not ideating for brands, he writes poetry. Besides The Dodge, his work appears or is forthcoming in The McNeese Review, The Notre Dame Review, Packingtown Review, Rise Up Review, Ghost City Review, Glass: A Journal of Poetry, The Indian Quarterly, and elsewhere. The Anatomy of Solitude (Hawakal, Kolkata) is his debut book of poetry. He grew up in Kalahandi, Odisha, and lives in Bangalore, India.
Published April 15 2023