 
    
Sarita Jenamani (India/Austria) is an Austria-based poet of Indian origin, a literary translator, anthologist, human rights activist and feminist. She is the editor of a bilingual magazine for migrant literature: Words & Worlds, and general secretary of PEN International’s Austrian chapter. She has so far been published in three collections of poetry. Jenamani is the co-editor of the anthology Silence Between the Notes: a collection of partition poetry from South Asia. She has also edited the first-ever anthology of poetry on violence against women in South Asia: Still We Sing. Jenamani has translated several Austrian poets including, Rainer Maria Rilke, Georg Trakl, Rose Ausländer etc. into Hindi and Odia. She has received many literary fellowships in Germany and Austria including those of the prestigious organizations of ‘Heinrich Böll Foundation’ and ‘Künstlerdorf Schöppingen’.
English
    ENDANGERED
    
    There always exists a twilight
    where the shadow of joy
    and the illusion of love
    depart from each other
    and the darkness insists
    to dwell inside you
    
    At such a juncture
    stars subdue your darkness
    in the hollow of your
    expectation and desperation
    
    They keep you alive
    with their resplendent gaze
    as you pass through the time
    and walk the whole way down
    to eternity
    
    But not even the stars are eternal
    they come and go
    leaving only their halo and nebula
    behind them
    
    No one asks what happens
    to a dying star
    as it collapses
    to form a singularity
    with infinite density
    at the heart of a black hole
    
    A dying star lit from within
    by embracing the silent warmth
    of its remnant stellar core
Translated by the poet
Odia
     ସଙ୍କଟାପନ୍ନ
    
    ଯେଉଁଠାରେ ଆନନ୍ଦର ଛାୟା
    ଏବଂ ପ୍ରେମର ଭ୍ରମ
    ପରସ୍ପରଠାରୁ ଦୂରେଇ ଯାଆନ୍ତି
    ସେଠାରେ ସବୁବେଳେ
    ଏକ ସନ୍ଧ୍ୟା ବିଦ୍ୟମାନ ଥାଏ
    ଯେଉଁଠାରେ ଅନ୍ଧକାର
    ତୁମ ଭିତରେ ବାସ କରିବାକୁ  ଜିଦ୍ ଧରେ
    
    ଏହିପରି ଏକ ସମୟରେ
    ତୁମର ଅନ୍ଧକାରକୁ ହାଲକା କରନ୍ତି
    ତାରାମାନେ
    ତୁମ ଆଶା ନିରାଶା ର ଶୁନ୍ୟତା ଭିତରେ  
    ସେମାନେ ତୁମକୁ ଜୀବିତ ରଖନ୍ତି
    ନିଜ ଝିଲମିଲ  ନଜର ରେ
    ଯେତେବେଳେ ତୁମେ ସମୟ ମାର୍ଗ ରେ  
    ଅନନ୍ତକାଳ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଯାତ୍ରାରତ ଥାଅ
    
    ତାରାମାନେ ବି ଅନନ୍ତ ନୁହଁନ୍ତି
    ସେମାନେ ବି ଜନ୍ମ ଆଉ ମୃତ୍ୟୁ ପଥର ପଥିକ  
    କିନ୍ତୁ ସେମାନେ ନିଜ ପଛରେ  ଛାଡିଯାନ୍ତି
    ନିଜର ପ୍ରଭାମଣ୍ଡଳ
    
    କେହି ପଚାରନ୍ତି ନାହିଁ
    ମୁମୂର୍ଷୁ ତାରାର ଇତିହାସ
    ଯେତେବେଳେ ସେ ଧଶେଇପଡ଼େ
    ବ୍ଲାକ ହୋଲ ର  
    ଅସୀମ ଘନତା ଭିତରକୁ
    
    କିନ୍ତୁ ଏକ ମୁମୂର୍ଷୁ ତାରା
    ପୁଣି ପ୍ରଜ୍ୱଳିତ ହୋଇଉଠେ  
    ନିଜର ଅବଶିଷ୍ଟ ନକ୍ଷେତ୍ରିକ ତତ୍ତ୍ୱର  
    ନୀରବ ଉଷ୍ମତାକୁ ଆଲିଙ୍ଗନ କରି