A Poet From Desert And A Dusky Girl Poem by Devesh Path Sariya

From the sand dunes of Rajasthan,
a young poet sets out on a journey to the far south.

Ripened by the desert's scorching heat,
His lineage bears a dusky genetic hue.
Dusky is the girl he loves,
Like a mirage that dances in the desert.

A red Chunar flutters, concealing her face,
While her enchanting duskiness peeks from behind,
Radiating like an additional sun amidst the dunes.

Once in search of work, he now finds himself employed,
A wispy trail of smoke escapes from his beedi,
Banishing images of unemployment from his poetic core.
Thus, poetry embarks on a new adventure.

Having already smoked the bidis brought from Rajasthan,
He now seeks a bidi from the neighboring laborers,
To accompany his cup of tea.

Under the intoxication of the southern land,
He ponders whether the tendu leaves of Rajasthan and Kerala,
As well as the thread used to bind them into bidis,
Share a common thread.

Lost in his thoughts, he continues to puff on his beedi.

Despite repeated attempts, his chapatis remained undercooked,
Until he visited the hut of an elderly Bihari woman,
Living alone, who offered him cooked rice.
Overwhelmed, he wept for the lady's solitude,
Which reminded him of his own loneliness in the distant south.

Unbeknownst to him, he seeks companionship,
Disguised as a quest for beedis and food.

Though his heart brims with love for the desert girl,
Leaving no room for another in the south,
He cannot resist the allure of Kerala's beautiful rivers and lakes.
He spends hours by their banks,
Finding solace in their presence, akin to the dusky girl.
Moreover, he marvels at the abundance of water, a rarity in his village.

The girls of Thar, slender and graceful,
Appear indistinguishable,
As taut as the water of a lake.
The poet gazes at the lake,
recalls their wonderful time together,
some ripples appear in the lake.

(Translation from Hindi by Shivam Tomar)