Janmashtami

‘JANMASHTAMI’
(A POEM)

By CHINTAMANI BEHERA

(Rendered by the Author from Oriya)

Believe me; that day will come,
Glorious, bright, pure and illuminating;
It is golden and brightened by the sun’s rays,
The Chariot of the morning sun is within sight,
The life of the people is filled with
the free breath of liberty.

Believe me; the lotus of freedom will surely blossom forth
in the lake of the life of man;
The day of Janmashtami is come,
The laughter of the golden Jubilee bursts forth,
in the pitch darkness of the prison.

It will surely end the rehearsal of deceit and infidelity,
The sun will rise one day piercing the darkness of tyranny,
The seed of freedom is sowed
in every country of the world.

Believe me;
We will surely listen in the bright sunlight of that day
To the songs of Love’s pigeon,
The palpitation of the free life,
The chirpings of the doves of peace.
The shaky sprouting of the earth hides
the signs of unity, freedom and humanism.

The sun will rise penetrating the heart of the
nights of ‘Sravana’,
The bright lotus will blossom forth
in the breast of violence and faithlessness,
The golden chariot of the free child will move
piercing the bleak darkness of the royal path.

Believe me: in the history of that glorious day
The free soul will emerge,
with the records of the consecration of blood.