NEWSPAPER BOY - ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF RENUKA RAMANAND'S 'PAPER HUDUGA' ಪೇಪರ್ ಹುಡುಗ

Dear friends ... here is my English translation of Kannada poet Renuka Ramanand’s poem ಪೇಪರ್ ಹುಡುಗ PAPER HUDUGA ... I liked this poem the day I read it and had marked it for more readings ... I knew I would want to translate this poem and I tried ... it looks like a simple poem; may even bring a chuckle to one’s face, but behind the seeming light-heartedness of the poem is something about positions remaining the same and one squeezes out small triumphs or moments of happiness ... things are going to remain the same ... ಈ “ಪೇಪರ್ ಹುಡುಗ” ಓದಿದಾಗ ನನಗೆ ಇದ್ದಿಲಂಗಡಿ ಪೆಂಟಯ್ಯನ ನೆನಪಾಯುತು ... this Newspaper Boy reminds me of the coal-seller Pentayya ...    

 

Kannada original: ಪೇಪರ್ ಹುಡುಗ Paper Huduga

Poet: Renuka Ramanand ರೇಣುಕಾ ರಮಾನಂದ

English Translation S. Jayasrinivasa Rao

 

NEWSPAPER BOY

 

I need at least thirty minutes 

to browse three newspapers

Must tell the boy

Tomorrow onwards one paper

is enough

 

No time to read

House full of old newspapers

Nowadays, the ‘old-papers, empty-bottles’

buyers too don’t come

Even if they come, I’ve no patience 

to gather everything, go to the gate, conduct business

 

5.45 at dawn

Along with the falling thump,

like cow-dung dump,

of newspapers,

I hear the feeble bell

of the old-aged bicycle

Even without opening the door

I can imagine the back-torn t-shirt

with Big-B’s face

Threadbare bell-bottom pants

used and thrown by someone

of the Dharmendra era

 

The bell rings once more

The half-open door is spoken to – 

Akka ...

I’ve brought weeklies too

Sudha Taranga Karmaveera

Would you like any of these...?

His eyes open at dawn at three 

He’s still sleep-drowsy and

along with that, 

hope, expectation, and much more ...

There was absolutely no pressure

Yesterday’s decision that came up to  

the mouth doesn’t end up as words

 

‘Hoomh ... give me all three’

At my words – along with me

he was stunned too

He handed them over and 

prancing, turned his back

and left 

that same open-mouthed t-shirt and

red yellow and green rippled picture of joy

 

Tomorrow, first day of the month 

I’m waiting for the bell

once, again, once again

Akka, along with dailies and weeklies

I’ve brought monthlies too

Kasturi Mayura Tushara

Would you like any of these...?

 

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