Dódh m'athair is mo sheanathair
K. Siva Reddy
Dódh m'athair is mo sheanathairdíreach taobh leis an gconair deannaigh seo.
B'fhéidir gur dódh marbháin uile an tsráidbhaile
díreach taobh leis an gconair deannaigh seo.
Nuair a théimid ag siúl ar an gconair deannaigh
tagaimid fós ar photaí briste, seanchiseáin cháite
agus taiséadaí ar an bpailm dhátaí.
Tar éis achair fhada
táimid tagtha
agus ní féidir gan talamh créamtha a iompar ar na guaillí.
Más mian liom an t-ualach a aistriú chuig duine eile
tá talamh créamtha á iompar aige siúd leis -
tá duine á lorg agam nach bhfuil iompaithe ina thalamh créamtha.
They burnt my father and my grandfather
K. Siva Reddy
They burnt my father and my grandfatherjust next to this dust track.
Perhaps they burnt all the dead people in the village
just next to this dust track.
When we go along the dust track
we can still find broken pots, old winnowing baskets
and shrouds on the nearby date-palm trees.
Coming this far
after so long
it’s become impossible not to shoulder a cremation ground.
If I wish to shift the burden on to another
he too is shouldering a cremation ground –
I am searching for one who hasn’t turned into a cremation ground.
© 2002, K. Siva Reddy
From: Antarjanam
Publisher: Jhari Poetry Circle, Hyderabad, 2002
© Translation: 2005, M. Sridhar and Alladi Uma
From: Mohana! Oh Mohana! and Other Poems
Publisher: Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, 2005, ISBN 81-260-2162
