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