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in Features, Free Verse

कहो तो डरो / Speak and be afraid

Translated into English by Ayesha Kidwai

byAyesha KidwaiandVishnu Khare
November 10, 2022
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Käthe Kollwitz, “Frau mit totem Kind” (1903) (via Wikimedia)

Speak and be afraid
-Translated by Ayesha Kidwai

Speak—and be afraid, Oh lord, why did I go and say that?
Be speechless—and be afraid they will ask why you are silent

Regard—and be afraid as to why you gave it your ears
Disregard—and be afraid that it was mandatory to pay heed

Perceive—and be afraid that the same would not one day be your fate
Overlook—and be afraid about what your eyewitness testimony could be

Reflect—and be afraid that it came to be expressed on your face
Ignore—and be afraid that you may give them something to think about

Read—and be afraid about who looks over your shoulder
Pass over—and be afraid that they will study what you read

Write—and be afraid of the plurality of meanings that may be read from it
Don’t write—and be afraid that new forms will be taught

Fear—and be afraid that they will ask what there is to be afraid of
Don’t fear—and dread that the order will come, ‘Be afraid!’

 

कहो तो डरो

कहो तो डरो कि हाय यह क्यों कह दिया
न कहो तो डरो कि पूछेंगे चुप क्यों हो

सुनो तो डरो कि अपना कान क्यों दिया
न सुनो तो डरो कि सुनना लाज़िमी तो नहीं था

देखो तो डरो कि एक दिन तुम पर भी यह न हो
न देखो तो डरो कि गवाही में बयान क्या दोगे

सोचो तो डरो कि वह चेहरे पर न झलक आया हो
न सोचो तो डरो कि सोचने को कुछ दे न दें

पढ़ो तो डरो कि पीछे से झाँकने वाला कौन है
न पढ़ो तो डरो कि तलाशेंगे क्या पढ़ते हो

लिखो तो डरो कि उसके कई मतलब लग सकते हैं
न लिखो तो डरो कि नई इबारत सिखाई जाएगी

डरो तो डरो कि कहेंगे डर किस बात का है
न डरो तो डरो कि हुक़्म होगा कि डर 

First published by the translator on her site. Reproduced here with her permission.
Poem © Vishnu Khare / Translation © Ayesha Kidwai
Vishnu Khare (9 February 1940 – 19 September 2018) was a poet, translator, literary and film critic, journalist and scriptwriter. He wrote in both Hindi and English. He taught English literature at the university level, served as the Programme Secretary of Sahitya Akademi, the National Academy of Letters in India and was editor of the Hindi daily Navbharat Times.
Ayesha Kidwai is a linguist who teaches at JNU, New Delhi. She translates between Hindi/Urdu and English bilingually.

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