Ek Baras

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Ek Baras Beet Gaya (One Year Has Passed By)

Among his other accomplishments, India's PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, also writes poems. The one we present here is translated by Amitabha Bagchi. This is a poem that ABV wrote during the time of India's emergency (1975-6) when he was interred. It's taken from his recently published work, "51 poems". We believe this translation effectively captures the power of the original piece. As you enjoy the poem, we'd also like to know your comments on it. Better yet, send us a translated poem that you may have written. Please send it to our e-mail address at p_editors@hotmail.com or use the form. Enjoy!

One Year has Passed By

by Atal Bihari Vajpayee

One year has passed by
                         the burning summer months
                         the sad winter moonlight
                         the simpering monsoon's
                         inside has run dry
                         one year has passed by.

         Prison bars circumscribe the world
         the bird of my life is restless
         from the earth to the sky
         echoes freedom's cry

                  one year has passed by.
                  My eyes search the path
                  counting days, moments
                  that love which went away
                  will once again come nigh,
one year has passed by.

[Copyright of the original poem is with the publishers of "Ekyavan Kavitayen"; copyright for this translation is with Amitabha Bagchi]

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