O, Porter! Why Must You Climb Mountains? (Satis Shroff)

O, PORTER! WHY MUST YOU CLIMB MOUNTAINS?(Satis Shroff)

हे भरिया किन हिमाल छाड्ने?

– हिमाल माथि छ, त्येस्कारण.

–तल घाम छैन र माथि जाने.

– पर्बतबाट घाम र तारा नजिक देखिन्छ.

– खुट्टाले पिर्थीबी छुयो,

टाउकोले स्वर्ग छुयो.

मेरो आमा-बाबु सित स्कुल पठाउने पैसा थिएन.

* * *

O porter! Why must you climb mountains?

– The Himalayas are high, what’s why.

– There’s no sunlight below,

-That’s why I climb upwards.

– From the summits the sun and the stars appear close.

– My feet are on the Mother Earth,

– My head in Heaven.

- My parents had no money for my school.

* * *

हिमाल बोल्दैन,

मनिषझैँ  ठेल्दैना.

हिमाल अघि बद्डैना,

त्येसैकरण मनिश्हरु

पर्बतमा चाडछन्.

* * *

The Himalayas don’t speak,

They don’t nudge around like humans do.

The Himalayas don’t go forwards,

That is the reason

Humans climb mountains.

* * *

हामि गीत गाउछौ:

हिमाल, तिमीले सुन्यता दियौ,

मलाई विश्वास दियौ,

स्वर्गनै दियौ.

* * *

We sing songs:

O Himalayas you have given me solitude,

You have given me trust,

Even Heaven.

* * *

हिमाललाई हेरेर

मा चुप–चाप भए.

हिमालको माया देखेर,

शिव र पार्वती देखेर

मा खुशी र शंतोकी भए;

हिमालको प्रेमिनै भए.

* * *

I observed the Himalayas

And became silent.

I saw the love bestowed upon me by  the Himalayas,

And had visions of Shiva and Parvati.

Contentment and joy overcame me,

I became a lover of the Himalayas.

* * *

पहाडको मुटुमा सुन्दरता देखिन्छा

तर कालो शक्ति पनि.

बेला बेलामा खात्रकार पहिरो,

कहिले ढुंगा,

कहिले हिउ :

मनिष र जन्तु मरे.

* * *

I saw beauty in the heart of the Himalayas,

But also the dark power.

Time and again dangerous quakes,

Sometimes landslides,

At other times avalanches:

Killing animals and humans.

* * *

* * *

हिमाललाई हेरेर डमरु बजाए,

भैरब्लाई प्रसाद चडाए.

डमरु बजाए र प्राथना गरे.

शिव र पर्बतिलाई पूजा गरे.

राति पहाड गर्जियो

हिउले रंगीलो तम्बुहरु छोप्यो.

* * *

I peered at the Himalayas,

Beat the damaru and prayed

To Shiva and Parvati.

There was a mighty roar at night,

The avalanche covered the colourful tents.

* * *

Glossary:

Shiva and Parvati: Hindu God and Goddess who reside in the Himalayas

Damaru: a drum used to invoke Shiva during a puja (ritual)

* * *