After MA
A TRANSLATION OF THE POEM "MA PASS TOURAGA" BY LAISHRAM SAMARENDRA
From the book Mamang Leikai Thambal Satle (1974)
After MA
I'd be a college professor
I'd wear a black tie
I'd think of the high ideals
I'd be neat and live tidy.
After BA
I'd be the SDC
I'd marry the SDO's daughter
If she is ugly or has curly hairs
Nothing matters to me but love
Love comes in the morning, by nature,
after having cakes and biscuits
Everything becomes beautiful
when travelling in a car.
After matriculation
I'd be the UDC clerk, FK's clerk;
I'd handle the housing loan
I'd hand out the scooters
I'd discuss them with your SDC
Let me know the SDC
Who follows me not.
I'd rather pass not the matriculation
I'd rather not make haste for work in the morning
I'd rather do not do those occupations
Multiply your salary by ten
That I get it in one hour.
Your CD salutes me
I'm the contractor
I'm Meino, who every PTO licks and clings to
The peon says nobody thinks about me
But the DOO pays the kickback to me
Just to pass a message to the KO
On days when there is no LLO
Who can sign and approve the PP
It is only me, Meino Sing!
Note
From the book Mamang Leikai Thambal Satle (1974)
After MA
I'd be a college professor
I'd wear a black tie
I'd think of the high ideals
I'd be neat and live tidy.
After BA
I'd be the SDC
I'd marry the SDO's daughter
If she is ugly or has curly hairs
Nothing matters to me but love
Love comes in the morning, by nature,
after having cakes and biscuits
Everything becomes beautiful
when travelling in a car.
After matriculation
I'd be the UDC clerk, FK's clerk;
I'd handle the housing loan
I'd hand out the scooters
I'd discuss them with your SDC
Let me know the SDC
Who follows me not.
I'd rather pass not the matriculation
I'd rather not make haste for work in the morning
I'd rather do not do those occupations
Multiply your salary by ten
That I get it in one hour.
Your CD salutes me
I'm the contractor
I'm Meino, who every PTO licks and clings to
The peon says nobody thinks about me
But the DOO pays the kickback to me
Just to pass a message to the KO
On days when there is no LLO
Who can sign and approve the PP
It is only me, Meino Sing!
Note
- MA, BA: Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts
- SDC: Sub-Divisional Collector
- SDO: Sub-Divisional Officer
- UDC: Upper Division Clerk (It is our colloquial style to say UDC clerk, for example also in 'walking chatpa', which is to go for a walk when 'chatpa' already means 'to walk')
- I'm not sure about the abbreviations in the last stanza; am also doubtful if they do exist. There are so many of them, which made me think that the poet had used them for an effect. Perhaps they do exists and the poet has captured them well in his description of the contractor.
- This is the second translation post in a row. I consider my translations are unripe. Sometimes I'm so interested in translating the prose and poetry. On other occasions, I simply don't bother about translation. Sometimes I don't even bother about life, of course, I'd not waste it but it means so little when it has convinced me it has no meaning whatsoever.
Download and read one complete dozen of Laishram Samarendra’s poems that have been translated and compiled in a booklet (PDF)! Check the link/article with the option to download the PDF, which is stored on my personal Google Drive. This means it’s completely safe to save it on your device.
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