ravi and ravi

Naval Bhave
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The name of this scoundrel is Ravi.
As soon as the day breaks on him to wake
He creates an illusion.
On a span of hand as small and short as the palm
He means to settle all the beings, all of them as if on a platter.
Awaking them all from their slumber.

In his view, there are only two classes-
The haves, the have-nots.

All my properties are only my two bags.
Even then he won't let off, keep quiet
Until he mixes
Divides them, among all.

Dragging them, mixing, admixing
He fixes each one’s shares and parts
Giving mine too as a part.

I couldn't understand so far
Whether we should call him the Naxalite or the Sarvodite.
Maybe both, maybe they are the same
Though not called by the name, the very same.

from kritya. a poem by ismail, translated by dr.v.kondal rao.

as man, river
------------
i know him
----------

life-drawing

lifeless state*

i know him as a life, a current

call him mattem ravi kumar**

call him manjeera


in the city among students in thousands

in warangal among peasants coolies in lakhs

in the jungle, plains for long

he flowed as the spirit of battle


poetry prose

the homeopathy of sweetened pills

the surgical intervention of guerilla strategy

whatever he wrote

it became thesis anti-thesis

as debated by a democrat


in the south telangana plains

where the river flows

in leaf-green attire

he dreamt of taking part in the drill


in the dandakaranya nallamala

to the leaf-green jungle

to the leaf-less jungle

that rivers flow and run dry

but do not die he taught


what's changed even now

our walking running river

might be the stream of our tears

or as another ancient poet said

tomorrow the roar that shall strike your heart dumb

it's become that immortal river.

a poem by varavara rao from here. i tried the translation, taking some liberties (especially with the last two lines).

update: since last night, i realized the translated poem needs some punctuation (the poet didn't use any). and also that these two references needed to be clarified-

* state: as in nation-state, and not as in a state in a federation.
** mattem or mattam ravi kumar: read more about him here and strangely, here.