ଓଡ଼ିଆ କବିତା "ଦିନରେ ଖୋଜୁଛି ତାରା"/ TRANSLATED ENGLISH POEM " SEARCHING FOR THE STARS DURING THE DAY"

ଦିନରେ ଖୋଜୁଛି ତାରା 
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ଆଶା କରିଥିଲି କିଛି ତ ପାଇବି
      ସମୁଦ୍ର ମନ୍ଥନ ଶେଷେ,
ସବୁ ନେଇଗଲ ଦେଇଗଲ ଯାହା
     ଲୁଣିଆ ପାଣିରୁ ପୋଷେ।
ଶୋଷ ମେଣ୍ଟିଲାନି ଏମିତିକା ଦାନ
     କେତେ ସ୍ୱାର୍ଥପର ହରି,
ଉଚ୍ଚୈଶ୍ରବା ଅଶ୍ଵ ଐରାବତ ହସ୍ତୀ
     କୌସ୍ତୁଭ ମଣି କୁ ଧରି।
କାମଧେନୁ ସାଥେ ଅପ୍ସରା ଗଣଙ୍କୁ
     ଡାକି ହାକି ଦାନ କଲ,
ମହାଲକ୍ଷ୍ମୀ ଲୋଭ ଛାଡ଼ି ପାରିଲନି
     ସାଥେ ତାଙ୍କୁ ନେଇଗଲ ।
ଧନ୍ଵନ୍ତରୀ ସାଥେ ଅମୃତ କଳସ
     ସାଇତିଲ ନିଜ ପାଇଁ,
ଏଡ଼େ ବଡ଼ ପ୍ରଭୁ ଲୋଭରେ ପଡ଼ିଲ
     ଛାଡିଲନି ଆମ ପାଇଁ।
ହସିଦେଇ ପ୍ରଭୁ ରଖିଲେ ଉତ୍ତର
     ଘୋଡ଼ା କୁ ଲଗାଅ ବାଜି,
ଉଚ୍ଚୈଶ୍ରବା ଅଶ୍ଵ ପାଇଲେ ଉଡ଼ିବ
     ମନକୁ ଧନରେ ଖଞ୍ଜି।
ଜଙ୍ଗଲର ହାତୀ ସୁରକ୍ଷା ପାଉନି
     ଅଚିରେ ଦେଉଛ ମାରି,
ଐରାବତ ହସ୍ତୀ କେମିତି ଦିଅନ୍ତି
     ତୁଟିଯିବ ତା'ର ଶିରୀ।
ଧବଳ ଟଗର କନିଅର ଫୁଲ
     ଥିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅପର୍ଯ୍ୟାପ୍ତ,
ପୂଜା ବାହାନାରେ ବୃକ୍ଷକୁ ଲୁଟୁଛ
    କେତେ କ୍ଷଣ ପାରିଜାତ।
ଝିଅ ବୋହୂ ଯେତେ ସୁନ୍ଦରୀ ଅବଳା
     ଧର୍ଷଣ କରୁଛ ନିତି,
ଅପ୍ସରା ଗଣଙ୍କୁ ପାଇଥିଲେ ବୋଧେ
    ମାନନ୍ତନି ଦିନ ରାତି।
ଗାଈ ଗୋରୁ ସବୁ ହୁଦାରେ ବୁଲନ୍ତି
     ଗୁହାଳ ଖଣ୍ଡିଏ ନାହିଁ,
କାମଧେନୁ ଇଚ୍ଛା ଅଯଥା ମାଗୁଣି
     ସରମ ଲାଗୁନି କାହିଁ?
ନିଜର ଘରଣୀ ମହାଲକ୍ଷ୍ମୀ ପରି
     ଯାହାକୁ ଆଣିଛ ବରି,
ପରକୀୟା ଭାବ ଆହୁରି ଛାଡ଼ିନ
     ଜୀବନେ ଦେଉଛ ମାରି।
ଅମୃତ କଳସ ପାଇବାରେ ମନ
     ଧରିଅଛ କେଉଁପରି,
ମରଣ ନ ଥିଲେ ସାରା ଜଗତକୁ
     କିମିଆ ଦିଅନ୍ତ କରି।
ଯାହା ମୁଁ ଦେଇଛି ଅସରନ୍ତି ଉତ୍ସ
     ଜ୍ଞାନ ବୁଦ୍ଧି ଧର୍ମ ଧରି,
ଖୋଜିଲେ ପାଇବ ହାତ ପାଆନ୍ତାରେ
     ମାୟାରେ ହେଉଛ ଘାରି।
ନିଦ ମୋ ଭାଙ୍ଗିଲା ସପନ ତୁଟିଲା
     ଭାବି ହେଲି ଦିନ ସାରା,
ସରଗ ସୁଷମା ଏଇଠାରେ ଅଛି
     ଦିନରେ ଖୋଜୁଛି ତାରା।
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ଡ. ଚପଳା ପଣ୍ଡା,ଶିକ୍ଷୟିତ୍ରୀ
(ବୃତ୍ତି ନିବୃତ୍ତ),ଖୋର୍ଦ୍ଧା.
୯୪୩୭୪୨୧୮୧୬.

SEARCHIMNG FOR THE STARS DURING THE DAY!

Ah! I did desire to be blessed with something

At the end of the churning of the Sea,

But, alas, You selfishly seized all and availed everything
Except leaving only a handful of salty water for me!

But, O Hari! You proved Yourself so self-centred

That remained unquenched my thirst nagging.

You, with Uchchishravas and Airavatas, Yourself enjoyed,

With the coveted Kausuva Gems Yourself adorning.

 

O Hari! Along with the Kamadhenu, the Nymphs You gifted
To Your subordinate Counterparts with due invitations;

For Mahalakshmi, You could hardly resist Your temptations

That’s why, You took Her with You, like a King undisputed.

 

O Hari! Along with Dhanvantari, tactfully You treasured

The immortal Pot of Nectar with You;

So tight greed and allurement caught hold of You
That too little could You leave for our herd.

 

Smiling softly the Lord made His reply:

You, the ruthless earthlings, earn laying wagers on horses.
“Thus, should you be blessed with Uchchishravas, you will fly

 On the capitalistic wings of mind in your mad races.

 

O the mean Mortals! Elephants are unsafe in their habitats.

You prey on them prematurely for the sake of their ivory tusks.

How can then you expect being gifted with the Airavatas

Who will be cruelly culled like chicks from dusks to dusks?

 

To your human eyes the Tagars and Kaners ever seem scarce

Notwithstanding, in numbers; they excel even the stars!

Under the robes of worship, you sincerely rob the trees’ vivacity

Then, how long can the Parijats withstand your rampant ferocity?

 

O the carnal Hunters! You violate the modesty and chastity

Of the virgins, brides and helpless charming ladies in regularity.

Then what would be the fates of the Apsaras celestially pretty

Were you blessed with? They would be ravished till eternity!

 

Cattle are forced to stray outside like orphans,

For, you can’t build sheds for them to rest in solace.

Still, bizarrely you never stop dreaming of Kamadhenu

Which is a matter of shame, ignominy and disgrace.

 

Alas! Your are blessed with a Lakshmi like spouse,

Nonetheless, your lust never gets satiated with her;

Like a promiscuous drone you woo extramarital affair

And slay your better half as a polecat kills a mouse.

 

How can you insist on being bestowed with the Pot of Nectar?

For, as a mortal you’re too defiant and reckless to the laws of Nature,

Then what would have been the beautiful world’s destiny

Had you been favoured to be immortal by the benisons nectarine?

Lo! You’ve been bequeathed with inexhaustible sources

That you can easily avail yourselves to fulfill your wishes

By wisdom, intelligence, discipline and duty’s applications

And bidding an adieu to temptations, illusions and delusions.

 

At this instant, I woke up from my deep and sweet slumber

And to an unknown far off land did my dreams disappear.

I was then awakened to feel on earth the blissful heavenly ray

And since then I've stopped searching for the stars during the day.

 

Tagars  - Pinwheel flower

 Kaners - Nerium oleanders

Parijats - Queen of the night / Night Jasmines

Promiscuous – having temporary physical relations with more than one person

Bequeathed – gifted

Benison – blessing

Adieu - goodbye

Copyright: Dr. Shankar D Mishra, a Sr. Lecturer in English, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

Whatsapp No. 8249297412. Please share this poem. Thank you.

Image credit:Shutterstock 

N.B. This poem is originally written in Odia language by Dr. Chapala Panda, a retired teacher, Khorda, Odisha.