“Darkness is dense” Translated by Nikita Parik
Gahan hai andhkara by Suryakant Tripathi Nirala (Hindi)
This prison of darkness is dense;
Veils of egotism
have raided our beings.
A rhizomed-wall engulfs us,
They look away, proclaiming
this sky to be devoid of sun,
of moon, of stars
This infinite sea of imagination
thunders around me, terrifyingly,
I no longer know the whereabouts
of the familiar inky shore.
Love, give me a physical awareness
that obliterates everything else.
Seeking, lurking, never quite attaining,
this heart of mine is vanquished.
Suryakant Tripath Nirala is a poet, novelist, essayist and story-writer who wrote in Hindi. He was also an artist.
