duusraa banwaas

raam banwaas se jab lautke ghar meiN aaye
yaad jungle bahut aayaa jo nagar meiN aaye
rakh-se diivaangii aaNgan meiN jo dekhaa hogaa
6 disumbar ko shrii raam ne sochaa hogaa
itne divaane kahaaN se mere ghar ko aaye

jagmagaate the jahaaN raam ke kadmoN ke nishaaN
pyaar kii kahkashaaN letii thii angRaaii jahaaN
moR nafrat ke usii rahguzar se aaye

dharm kyaa unkaa hai kyaa zaat hai yeh jaantaa kaun
ghar naa jaltaa tou unhe raat meiN pahchaantaa kaun
ghar jalaane ko meraa log jo ghar meiN aaye

shaakaahaarii hai mere dost tumhaaraa khanjar
tumne baabar ki taraf pheNke the saare pathar
hai mere sar kii khataa zakhm jo sar meiN aaye

paaNv saryu meiN abhii raam ne dhoye bhii naa the
ki nazar aaye vahaaN khuun ke gahre dhabe
paaNv dhoye binaa saryu ke kinaare se uThe
raajdhaani kii fizaa aayii nahii raas mujhe
6 disambar ko milaa duusraa banvaas mujhe

The Second Exile

When Ram returned home from exile
He was reminded of the jungle as he entered the city
Seeing the dance of madness in his courtyard
On 6 December, Ram must have thought:
Where have so many mad men come from to my house?

Where Ram's footsteps used to glitter
Where the milkyway of love would stretch out
The turns of hatred came on the very same pathway

Who knows about their caste or creed?
Had my house not been set afire,
Who would have recognised them at night
The people who came into my house only to burn it?

Your dagger is vegetarian, my friend,
You had thrown all the stone towards Babar
It's the fault of my head that it came in the way

Ram hadn't yet washed his feet in the Saryu
That deep bloodstains were visible there
Without washing his feet, he got up from the bank of the Saryu
The climate of the capital doesn't agree with me
On 6 December I have been given my second exile

(Pathetic, hurried, literal, klutzy translation and transliteration by Sundeep Dougal. Please feel freeto mail criticism and corrections)

Anjum Hasan has been gracious enough to offer the following improvement over the above:

When Ram returned home from the jungles of exile
He entered the city only to be reminded of the jungles of exile.
Watching the gyrating madness around him on 6 December
He wondered, where have these madmen come from?

The paths of hatred have sprung from
The very byways where Ram’s footprints once glittered,
Where love’s infinity once stretched.

Who recognises their faith, their creed?
Had my house not been burnt down
Who, in the dark night, would have recognised
Those who entered my house to burn it down?
Your dagger is innocent, my friend,
Your stones were aimed at Babar.
It’s the fault of my head that it came in the way.

Ram didn’t wash his feet in the Saryu,
Seeing the dark blood everywhere,
Ram came away from the banks of the Saryu.
"The mood of the city doesn’t agree with me,
On 6 December I have been sent into another exile."