Wrapped in Placenta | Jameela Nishat

Aanval se me lipti thi

Hindi

Aanval se me lipti thi
Jeevan ki jo dori thi
Tu khaasti (cough) rehti thi
Main roti hi rehti thi
Saanse teri phulti thi
Saanse meri chalti thi
Din beet gaye kitne
Ab yaad nahi mujhko
Main kokh se Kab Nikli
Aur dhoop me Kab baithi
Ye dhool bhari duniya
Ye kyu mujhe takti hai 
Aankhe meri maa ki
Kyu aansu hi peeti hai 

Kuch puchte hai Ye sab 
Kya phir se hui Beti 
Hai chaaro taraf khil-khil
Aage hai mere khil-khil
Piche hai mere khil-khil
Has padti hu ab main bhi 
Jeevan ki jo dori hai 
Mazboot woh hoti hai 
Maa hi toh Sahara hai
Ye soach ke hasti hu
Rote hue kehti hu
Ab doodh pila do maa
Main roti hi rehti hu
Aur Ye na samajh paayi
Ke bojh bani hu main
Ye bhool gaye hai Sab 
Iss jag ki main beti hu 


Ab doodh pila do maa
Yun kokh me mat maaro
Jab-jab fasaad hota 
Duniya meri lut-ti hai
Ye kaare Jahan saara 
Chalta hai mere dam se 
Main nasal badhati  hu 
Mujhe kokh me mat maaro 
Mujhe doodh pila do maa

Durga hu me ellama 
Havva hu zuleqha hu
Basti hu basati hu
Mitti main mulayam hu 
Sadiyo se kayi-jaan Par
Jo zulm main sehti hu 
Ab Seh nahi paungi

Aawaz ka toofaan hai 
Uthta hai Jo galiyo se 
Ab dard ke rishto ko 
Kya naam bhala doge
Tum doodh pila do maa 
Tum haunsla do 
Taake 
Duniya ko badal daalun

I was wrapped in placenta

English

I was wrapped in placenta
Tied to the thread of life
You coughed incessantly
I cried all the time
You were gasping for breath
While I was breathing your life
How many days did pass
I do not remember now
When did I emerge from your womb
To bask in the sunlight?
Why does the world
Stare at me dusty-eyed?
Why do my mother’s eyes
Drink only her tears?

People are asking
Is it a girl again?
The world laughs around me, khil-khil
Before me, khil-khil
Behind me, khil-khil
I too laugh along with it
I bloom, I blossom
The thread of life 
Is a strong one
My mother is my strength
And so I laugh
And I cry to her
Give me my milk, mother
I keep crying
I did not realise
That I was her burden
They have all forgotten
I am humanity’s daughter.

Give me my milk, mother
Do not kill me in your womb
My world is being destroyed 
With the quarrels that abound
The entire world goes round
Thanks to me
I perpetuate generations of life
Don’t kill me in your womb
Give me my milk, mother

I am Durga, I am Yellamma
I am Eve, I am Zulekha
I am creation, I am the creator
I am the soft earth
Suffering since eons
I can suffer no more.


It is a storm of words
That has risen from the streets
What name can you possibly give
To relations born of pain
Give me my milk, mother
Give me courage
So that 
I can change this world.