Arun Kolatkar: 'Fire'

Fire

Arun Kolatkar

This fire            This one laughing          This is yet another

What shall I do with it               Where shall I keep it

Shall I   set it     to the house      to the door       to the world

What will it cook          Where will it spread

This torch         where shall I throw it

This fire            must be obeyed

This fire            wear it on your head

Become a torch            dance

 

Come, let’s play

Light my cigarette

Fire my engine

Leaven my bread

Cook my stew

Condense my soul

Boil my blood

Bend my steel

Melt my gold

Bake my brick

Crackle my mustard

Burn my corpse

Fling my arrows

Helter skelter

This fire            This one laughing          This is yet another

I am the toppling Ravana           I am charcoal       I am charcoal

This is Dussera

 

This fire            Flames flames               This bonfire

Broken window            I’m a smashed door      This bonfire

This bonfire             This bonfire

Limping chair              I’m a table on crutches      This bonfire

            This bonfire              This bonfire

 

Running fence          I’m a beam escaping          This bonfire

            This bonfire             This bonfire

Flying cupboard            I’m a warehouse being looted               This

bonfire         This bonfire           This bonfire

 

this world without tunnels          This house of wax

Helpless   Helpless   Fire engines   Sandbuckets   Water tanks

 

You are fire      I’m ash

You are today     I’m cash

You are yesterday        You are fire      You are tomorrow

You are fire      You are now    You are before      You are after

You are flower I’m stalk

 

You are matchhead       I’m matchstick

 You are sacred fire      I’m holy man

You are fire         Ask      Take

I’m smoke        I’m smoke        I’m smoke

 

I am myself sacrificial fire          I am the host       I am the altar

            I am the priest      I am the fire           I am the sacrifice

The fire itself         is ignorant

I sacrifice          I sacrifice          I sacrifice

 

Your mane will catch fire           Be careful

Your tail will burn         Take care

Come my lion        Make a compromise

Jump         through        this burning hoop

From here to there        and again          from there to here

This fire shaped like a zero        This freedom to burn     is daily

This whole circus      is you alone

 

Rajabai Tower       The Gateway    The Taj

The Majestic Hotel

These buildings      beasts          foxes      tigers      wild boars

This jungle        molded        this clear         darkness

These vultures

 

You are hearth       neighbouring            fire

Scatter       the city        make them wait           

Rajabai Tower       The Gateway    The Taj

The Majestic Hotel    Churchgate    Station

The Town Hall       The Victoria Terminus         The Regal

            The Eros

Detached       Immobile

Keep burning       please       for my sake

Keep       me     warm

Terrify          this city

Otherwise    these buildings   will tear me   and devour me

This city       stays as is    because of you    or else    or else

 

Terrorize         the city         the museum

Be        a neighbour.

 

[Translated from Marathi by Dilip Chitre and Mick Fedullo]

Chandrabhaga 13

Thanks, Rahul!