भस्म हो जाओ असुर,
खलनायक कहीं के,
पुस्तकों में पढ़ा है,
जो हमने लिखा है,
काले अक्षरों में,
उतने ही काले जितनी काली पहली की रात,
फिर दसवीं को जलते हुए,
हसंते क्यों हो?
किस पर?
अपनी बहन की कटी नाक को
इतना बड़ा मुद्दा बना दिया,
अपहरण तक कर लिया, कपटी.
निर्दोष थी उसने लक्ष्मण रेखा लांघने की गलती की,
ठीक है कि तुम ने मर्यादा नहीं लांघी,
तुमने छल तो किया ही था,
छल से ही हो, तुम हारे तो,
अच्छाई जीत गई. बुराई पर.
ये शिक्षा देने के लिए,
हर साल. साल दर साल.
सत्य की असत्य पर विजय,
ना बहस, न मुक़दमा,
सरल, संक्षिप्त, न्याय,
एक तीर नाभि पर,
तम का अंत, तुरंत.
वह पवित्र थी, तुमसे मरती भी नहीं,
वह मरी पवित्र हाथों से,
बुराई ने छुआ तक नहीं, अच्छाई ने मारा,
वह मरी रामराज्य में,
सिद्ध करते हुए,
स्वयं को निर्दोष,
तुम विकराल अट्टहास करते हो,
विशाल लपटों में घिरे,
बौने लोगों की लगाई आग में.
वह जलती है रोज़,
अपहृत होती है, पीड़ित होती है,
अमर्यादित होती, जला दी जाती है,
सिद्ध करते करते स्वयं को निर्दोष,
अग्नि परीक्षा,
प्रतिदिन, अनवरत!
तुम तो साल में एक बार ही,
अश्विन, शुक्ल पक्ष, दशमी की तिथि!
वह जलती है, तुम्हारे जलने से पहले.
तुम्हारे भस्म होने के बाद भी.
(English Translation)
Burn, you mad man! You, the villain,
The bad guy, in the history that we wrote!
A history that is told, and retold.
Year after year.
Your history is dark, as dark as the first night,
Yet on the tenth you burn, bright.
And laughing.
At us.
All for your sister’s honour, her already damaged nose,
You who snatched her,
Yet did not touch her.
You were cheated, defeated, taught a lesson.
A teaching we are taught, year after year.
Triumph of good over evil.
Summary execution, no trial,
No judge, no jury.
One shot to the abdomen,
and end of all misery!
She was pious,
She did not die in your evil custody,
She died, after she was free,
In the most just kingdom that could be,
At the hands of the good.
She died proving,
She was not damaged goods.
While you guffaw like a villain,
Your towering frame in the giant flame
That tiny men light.
She burns!
She is charred. Scarred.
Guilty until proven innocent.
Trial by fire.
Every day.
She is kidnapped, killed, violated,
Burnt alive.
You burn once a year.
Burn, you mad man!
The bad guy, in the history that we wrote!
A history that is told, and retold.
Year after year.
Your history is dark, as dark as the first night,
Yet on the tenth you burn, bright.
And laughing.
At us.
All for your sister’s honour, her already damaged nose,
You who snatched her,
Yet did not touch her.
You were cheated, defeated, taught a lesson.
A teaching we are taught, year after year.
Triumph of good over evil.
Summary execution, no trial,
No judge, no jury.
One shot to the abdomen,
and end of all misery!
She was pious,
She did not die in your evil custody,
She died, after she was free,
In the most just kingdom that could be,
At the hands of the good.
She died proving,
She was not damaged goods.
While you guffaw like a villain,
Your towering frame in the giant flame
That tiny men light.
She burns!
She is charred. Scarred.
Guilty until proven innocent.
Trial by fire.
Every day.
She is kidnapped, killed, violated,
Burnt alive.
You burn once a year.
Burn, you mad man!
