Saturday, July 6, 2013

"Plight of an Oppressed Woman" by Sahir Ludhianvi (1921-1980)



Pg. 447 (Sahir Ludhianvi translated from the Hindi-Urdu by Alverston & Associates)

“Plight of an Oppressed Woman”

Men consider Woman solely a body

Do not acknowledge therein resides a soul too!

Men do not care what soul subsists, adjudicating encumbrance

They just fulfill their physical needs!

However, every time Her essence is infringed,

Her body may as well be a walking corpse!

Men do not hunger consciousness of Truth:

For centuries this prevalent custom of Barbarity preponderates

It still exists! It still exists? It still exists? It still exists!

For many centuries this practice of sins will persist

Every scream of a Woman perceived as song!

Same was the custom in tribal times as it is now in city customs!

For Her to propagate with an oppressor, bodies joined in tyrannous manners,

Men separating themselves as Humanity, making sure they stand

Alone and upright, although far more innocent birds have greater sang-froid!

We who walk around in self-professed singularity from the natural world entirely

The ferocious beast, unlike us, cannot bring itself to allege similar virtues!

In a snuffed out soul, skeletal, emaciated body, Womanhood endures

Just wondering where to go to break this cycle of my fate!

I’m not alive, so how can I find solace in death?

Not completely dead so that I can slip away from grief!

Who will point out to whom I can go to for inquiry about my chassis?

For how long will men pour my life into the mold of fury?

Until the world consciously and willingly opens its eyes,

And acknowledges this custom of barbaric oppression,

For how long will male bias dominate?

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