Bidaai ke kavita, hamaar baap khatir - Sarnami

My father died in July, 2009. The cremation was on July the 13th. I said goodbye and farewell to him in my own way. Whatever was left to say to him, I 'channelled' through a poem, published on July the 22nd, 2009, in the daily paper De Ware Tijd in Suriname. This is a translation in Sarnami, of the original version that was written in Dutch (which can be read in the Blog below).

Ajodhapersad Marhé bidaai ke kavita

Jaise shatranj ke khel me
zindagi me bhi khilari
ek-ek hoi ke chal ja hai…
Aapke arsatwa janamdin se pehle
Maut aap ke khel khatam kar deis.
Aap to hamaar chauthwa janamdin se pehle
saamne se chal gaile
tab se ham tarpe ke sikhli
aap ke khatir
jiske liye ham sab kona, sab chhaai me
dekhe ke sochat rahili
aap paas bhi rahile, phir bhi ketna doer
Jab ham aap ko Paramaribo ke rastwan par
saamne se guzarte dekhat rahili
Tab se ham bhi seekh le li
Aap se bidaai lewe ke
Jiwan me ham aur aap sanghe na rah paili
Baki je ke bhagwaan ekatha lais
O ke insaan alge kabhi na kar pais.

Aap ke maut se
ham log ke beech se
dunya ke sab deewar
chal gail hai

Aap ke maut se
aatma azaad hoi gail
Aur okar saath me, sachcha prem bhi.
Tab se ham ke phir
Aapke prem hame anubhav bhail

Aap ke maut se
hamlog etna paas aai gaili
jon jiwan me kabhi na hoi sakal

Aap ke maut se
aap phir hamaar baap ban gaile
Djaa, tu prem se, sukh se aur shaanti se djaa
Ohm Shanti Shanti Shanti Ohm

Aap ke bitia aur pehli aulaad
Usha Nalinie Marhé

©Usha Marhé, photo and poem, juli 2009

With thanks to Reshma Ramcharan, my nanie (maternal grandmother), Tedj Khedoe, Sushma Khedoe, and Raj Mohan for their help with the translation.