Everything has returned…
Once again, fresh green leaves sprout
On the barren, withered tree.
The mango tree in the backyard
Is filled with blossoms.
The courtyard smells sweet
With the fragrance of jasmine.
The Phalsa trees are bursting
With bright red flowers.
The lonely birds have chosen
Their respective nests.
Now, not a single bench in the park
Remains empty.
There is a massive crowd
Around the Gupchup (Puchka/Golgappa) stall.
Not a single stale flower is left
At the florist’s shop.
Now, just like before,
Not a single letter gets lost
In a wrong address.
On the newly bought radio,
Evergreen songs play every single day.
The people who used to watch intently
For the path of your arrival,
Are now busy working in MGNREGA.
The uneducated women who used to gossip
And whisper among themselves,
Are now outside the city limits
Due to the anti-encroachment drive.
In the Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav,
Along with tricolor lights,
My beloved city is dazzling and shimmering.
Development and displacement, hand in hand,
Play with the colors of the spring.
Everything has returned…
No one is upset or angry with time.
What kind of deep hurt pride (Abhimana) did you harbor
That caused you to leave?
Summer, monsoon, and winter have passed,
And spring has returned,
Yet, you did not come back.
— Ratnamaya Tripathy
Adhyayana, Balangir
—————–
Original Odia : Ratnamaya Tripathy
Translated by : Dr. Khyatimaya Tripathy
Want to read this poem in Odia ? Click Here
Want to read this poem in Hindi ? Click Here
