Poem
Kunwar Narain
A Shop That Sells Peace
He sells peace in the neighbourhood.His shop
of loudspeakers
is right next to my house.
I pay him a hundred rupees a month
for not playing the loudspeaker
two hours before sunrise.
He knows that I am
one of those unfortunate people
who cannot live
without peace!
He knows
that in the days to come
peace will be even scarcer
than clean water and clean air.
He knows that
the age of revolutions is over
and in order to fill his stomach
he must sell
peace.
I am grateful to him.
In a country like India
where prices have skyrocketed
a hundred rupees a month
for two hours of peace
is not expensive.
© Translation: 2002, Alok Bhalla
From: Hindi: Language, Discourse, Writing, Vol. 2, No. 4
Publisher: Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, New Delhi, 2002
From: Hindi: Language, Discourse, Writing, Vol. 2, No. 4
Publisher: Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, New Delhi, 2002
A SHOP THAT SELLS PEACE
© 1993, Kunwar Narain
From: Koee Doosra Naheen
Publisher: Rajkamal Prakashan, New Delhi
From: Koee Doosra Naheen
Publisher: Rajkamal Prakashan, New Delhi
Poems
Poems of Kunwar Narain
Close
A Shop That Sells Peace
He sells peace in the neighbourhood.His shop
of loudspeakers
is right next to my house.
I pay him a hundred rupees a month
for not playing the loudspeaker
two hours before sunrise.
He knows that I am
one of those unfortunate people
who cannot live
without peace!
He knows
that in the days to come
peace will be even scarcer
than clean water and clean air.
He knows that
the age of revolutions is over
and in order to fill his stomach
he must sell
peace.
I am grateful to him.
In a country like India
where prices have skyrocketed
a hundred rupees a month
for two hours of peace
is not expensive.
© 2002, Alok Bhalla
From: Hindi: Language, Discourse, Writing, Vol. 2, No. 4
Publisher: 2002, Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, New Delhi
From: Hindi: Language, Discourse, Writing, Vol. 2, No. 4
Publisher: 2002, Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, New Delhi
A Shop That Sells Peace
He sells peace in the neighbourhood.His shop
of loudspeakers
is right next to my house.
I pay him a hundred rupees a month
for not playing the loudspeaker
two hours before sunrise.
He knows that I am
one of those unfortunate people
who cannot live
without peace!
He knows
that in the days to come
peace will be even scarcer
than clean water and clean air.
He knows that
the age of revolutions is over
and in order to fill his stomach
he must sell
peace.
I am grateful to him.
In a country like India
where prices have skyrocketed
a hundred rupees a month
for two hours of peace
is not expensive.
© 2002, Alok Bhalla
From: Hindi: Language, Discourse, Writing, Vol. 2, No. 4
Publisher: 2002, Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, New Delhi
From: Hindi: Language, Discourse, Writing, Vol. 2, No. 4
Publisher: 2002, Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, New Delhi
Sponsors
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère