#2 “One window and eight bars” di Rati Saxena

 

खिड़की के पार मकान
मकान के उस पार फिर मकान
फिर कहीं जाकर एक घाटी है
घाटी में हवा गेन्द की तरह घूमती है
उछल कर कूद आती है खिड़की से

मैं और खिड़की, दोनों खिलखिला उठते हैं।

 

Beyond the window, a house
beyond the house, yet another house
beyond again, perhaps a valley
with wind like a bouncing ball
that leaps up and lands in here,
through the window

The window, and I
start to laugh.

 

Oltre la finestra, una casa
oltre la casa, e una dopo l’altra
ancora oltre, forse una valle
di vento come una palla che balza,
che salta fuori qui e ricade,
alla finestra.

Io e
la finestra
ridiamo.

 

*

 

जैसे ही खिड़की खुलती है
मेरी बंद साँस चलने लगती है।

As soon as the window opens
my held breath stirs.

 

Quando la finestra s’apre
il respiro prima trattenuto
nasce.

 

*

 

रात में देखे गए सपने का स्वाद
बाकी है जीभ पर
मैं खिड़की को सपना सुनाने को बेताब हूँ
मुँह खोलते ही सपना
उड़ कर बाहर जाता है
फिर लटक जाता है
तने से बैताल की तरह

मेरा अपना सपना
खिड़की के बाहर
मैं भीतर

 

The taste of last night’s dream
persists on the tongue.
I want to narrate my dream to the window
but as soon as I open my mouth,
my dream slips out
and hangs on a branch like a ghoul.

My very own dream, now outside the window.
while I’m inside.

 

Non si scioglie il gusto dalla lingua
l’altra notte, un sogno.
Voglio raccontarlo alla finestra ma
come apro bocca
scivola di fuori il sogno e
si appende come un ghoul al ramo.

Il mio sogno proprio oltre la finestra,
io che resto dentro.

 

*

 

लोग हटाए जा रहे हैं
अपने पुरखों की जमीन से
लोग हट रहे हैं
पुरखों की जमीन से

खिड़की का कोई
कसूर नहीं
हटने– हटाने के लिए
दरवाजा चाहिए

 

People are being banished
from their homes.
People abandon
their homes.

It is not the fault of the window.

To move out
you need a door.

 

Chi è scacciato di casa
e chi l’abbandona.

Ma non ha colpe la finestra.

Per uscire
serve una porta.

 

*

 

पत्ते, तना, दरख्त
सब खो गए हैं अंधकार में
खिड़की जग रही है
इस इंतजार में कि
सुबह की पहली रोशनी
उसे ही मिलेगी

 

Leaves, trunk, tree…
lost in the darkness.
The window is awake,
and hopes to be the first to see
the morning light.

 

Le foglie, il tronco, l’albero…
perduto nell’oscurità.
La finestra veglia,
spera di essere la prima
a vedere luce
nel mattino.

 

*

 

वह एक चित्र बनाती है
एक नकाबपोश आदमी
हाथ में बन्दूक

फिर फाड़ देती है कागज
इस तरह बदला ले लेती है
अपने दोस्त की हत्या का

गुस्सा खिड़की से
बाहर चला गया है

 

She draws a picture
of a masked
armed man.

Then she tears up the picture.
this is how she takes revenge
for the murder of her friend.

Her anger has gone
out the window.

 

Traccia una figura
d’uomo
mascherato in armi.

Poi la strappa,
vendica così l’amico ucciso.

La rabbia
scomparsa oltre la finestra.

 

 

© Rati Saxena, traduzione di Federico Federici; fotografia di Sara Russo

7 thoughts on “#2 “One window and eight bars” di Rati Saxena

  1. thanks Federico. Iva and eleonoramatarrese and my dear friend Christina Pacosz,

    I am thrilled to read your copmments. I hope you can read my others poems too

    Best

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  2. At first I would like to thank all those who have visited and dropped some lines after this post. I hope you will go on visiting these pages in the future and, for those who have not done yet, read the rest of the poems collection.
    I must say that one of the most peculiar talent in Rati’s poetry is pureness, no matter whether the theme is a painful or a hopeful one, she expresses a sort of pureness like only children can do. It’s then not by chance that I started translating her after working on Nika’s and Renata’s book.
    When reading her verses (in all languages, I think) you realize that if there can be some possibility, some will to point at a different life, then poetry can express it and embody it right in that very way she wrote it in. Her poetry is thus often vigorous and well sustained though never loosing intimate, calm sweetness.

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  3. Unfortunately I can’t understand the original version since I can’t read its characters; though the English version is extremely readable and well done.
    As to the Italian translation, it is correct and it flows as a perfect whole both to the eyes and to that part of soul that “shivers” when good verses arrive :)

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  4. The importance of Rati Saxena’s most recent book of poetry, One Window and Eight Bars, prompted me to enthusiastically agree to working with the poems in the collection prior to their publication, primarily on the English translation and the way the poems were presented. I have been collaborating in some fashion with Dr. Saxena almost since the birth of her on-line journal kritya http://www.kritya.org which appears monthly. Working with Rati is one of my most cherished windows on the world. It is good to “read” her poems here on leserpent in Italian, which I am not really able to read, as English is my only fluent language.

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  5. Hi there again,
    I really am looking forward to read some other verses from the book “One window and eight bars” on Mondays … I don´t speak italian, too, though I come from Europe (I only can read in English, German and a little bit in Russian). I like a lot this Federico´s website, as I always can read good poetry here and at the same time improve in foreign languages. Yes, that´s right … poetry is the strongest language! :-) But maybe someone else can tell you, if (how) the translation into italian liked ….
    Have a fine day ! iva :-)

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  6. Thanks Iva, I can not read Italian language, but when I see my poem in this language, I feel good, see we have almost experiences In life, but we write them down in different stile, languages . and poetry is strongest language .. I want to know if some one can say—so, it is written in Italian ( smile)

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  7. Hello,
    I´d like to say, that when I have read some other verses in english and then I have read these verses in english by Dr. Rati S., then I must really appreciate these one …. ´cause these one are so simple, clear and easygoing, but have got a deep idea and a sentiment also. And I am not telling it only because of english is not my native/mother language, but another reason is that then I can understand these verses better …
    I really liked both poems by Dr. Rati Saxena.

    Like

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