Hemant Shishir

On this night when the candle light blushes dimly,

Fulkumari, raise your veil a little

and cast a ray of your smile

upon the koehled eye of the door.

Today, even the Karet snake

shall return from the door abashed.

Fulkumari,

his vestiges left behind on the paddy stalks,

and  palms robbed throughout life by the spade of the master,

Ruina Tharu presents himself before you-

Raise now, Fulkumari, your veil a little!

Fulkumari,

before the peepal on the crossroad attending to its toilette,

before the Chure hill splashing its face clean,

a flush of the dawn

shall a bright day hostage take;

Then limping on its right leg

shall a fatigued evening come

to cough by your side.

Raise now, Fulkumari, your veil a little!

Today

pray, caress this back

whereupon  the sun’s rays have left behind their soles,

Caress tenderly

this heartbeat as steamed-up as Dhigri¹,

caress over this body that is wrenched-dry like parched fish,

caress upon these lips

so black, and, o yes, wrinkled like a map.

Fulkumari, raise now, your veil a little!

Fulkumari,

after this night goes out today

no dim-lit night shall an another visit pay.

1.Dhigri is a Tharu cuisine.

Translated from the Nepali original by Roshan Koirala