Himalayan Voices: An Introduction to Modern Nepali Literature

CONTENTS

CONTENTS P R E F A C E xi A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S XV NOTE ON T R A N S L I T E R A T I O N xvii Introduction / PART ONE THE POETS OF NEPAE / / Nepali Poetry 13 Lekhnath Paudyal (1885-1961)) 22 A Parrot in a Cage 26 Himalaya 28 Remembering Samswati 29 An Ode to Death 30 Last Poem 30 Balkrishna Sama (1903-1981) 31 Man h God Himself 34 I Hate 35 AII-Pervading Poetry 35 from Sight of the Incarnation 36 Eakshmlprasad Devkota (1909-1959) 40 Sleeping Porter 44 from Muna and Madan 45 Prayer on a Clear Morning in the Month of Mdgh 51 Mad Like Nothing into Nothing 56 53 CONTENTS VI Siddhicharan Shreshtha (b. 1912) 57 A Suffering World 59 No Smoke from the Chimneys 61 My Reflection 61 Untouchable father Has Not Come Home My Son To the Poet Devkotd Kedar Man "Vyathit" (b. 1914) Fragment from the. Year '09 Ants A Glimpse The Storm The End War The Practice of Sculpture Gopalprasad Rimal (1918-1973) A Mother's Dream Consolation A Mother's Pain A Change Who Are You'? To — Mohan Koirala (b. 1926) Remembering as I Go An Introduction to the Land I Love Your Daughter The Martyrs I Remember A Flower Amid the Mountain Rock The Fiddle The Snow Peak's Blood-Red It's a Mineral, the Mind You Who Remember BairagI Kainla (b. 1939) The Corpse of a Dream A Drunk Man's Speech to the Street After Midnight People Shopping at a Weekly Market Parijat (b. 1937) Sweep Away To Gopalprasad Rimal's "To —" A Sick Lover's Letter to Her Soldier In the. Arms of Death 61 62 63 64 66 68 69 69 70 71 71 71 73 75 76 78 79 80 81 82 86 87 89 90 91 93 93 96 97 98 99 102 103 106 111 113 114 115 116 CONTENTS Bhupi Sherchan (1936-1989) Always Always in My Dream Midday and the Cold Sleep I Think My Country's History Is a Lie A Blind Man on a Revolving Chair This Is a Land of Uproar and Rumor New Year A Poem A Dove of Two Delicate White Hands: Your Greeting Cold Ashtray A Cruel Blow at Dawn Banlra Giri (b. 1946) Time, You Are Always the Winner I Am a Torn Poster Kathmandu Woman New Trends in Nepali Poetry Bhairava Aryal (1936-1976) A Leaf in a Storm Haribhakta Katuval (1935-1980) A Wish This Life, What Life Is This? Ishwar Ballabh (b. 1937) The Shadows of Superfluous Songs Where Is the Voice? Hem Hamal (b. 1941) Village and Town Children Going to School Before the Daivn Krishnabhushan Bal (b. 1947) April Wind Historical Matters Bimal Nibha (b. 1952) Are You Quite Well, Oh Poet? Ashesh Malla (b. 1954) To the Children None Returned from the Capital Mlnbahadur Bishta (b. 1954) What's in the Bastard Hills? Thus a Nation Pretends to Live Avinash Shreshtha (b. 1955) A Spell Headland vii 119 122 123 124 125 127 128 129 130 131 131 132 133 135 137 139 141 143 143 144 144 145 145 146 147 148 149 149 149 150 150 151 152 152 153 153 154 155 155 157 157 158 158 CONTENTS Bishwabimohan Shrcshtha (b. 1956) Should I Earn My Daily Bread, or Should I Write a Poem? SELECTED SHORT STORIES The Short Story in Nepali Guruprasad Mainall (1900-1971) A Blaze in the Straw Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala (1915-1982) The Soldier To the Lowlands BhavanI Bhikshu (1914-1981) Will He Ever Return? Mdujang Kdbusdheb's Coat. Shivkumar Rfu (b. 1916) The Murderer Daulal Bikram Bishtha (b. 1926) The Andhi Khold Bijay Malla (b. 1925) Sunglasses The Prisoner and the Dove Ramcsh Bikal (b. 1932) A Splendid Buffalo Shankar Larnichhane (1928-1975) The Half-dosed Eyes of the Buddha and the Slowly Setting Sun India Bahadur RaT (b. 1928) Mama's Mother Is Just Like Us Poshan Pandc (b. 1932) A Sweater for Brother-in-law Tarinl Prasad Koirala (1922-1974) It Depends upon Your Point of View Prema Shah A Husband Parashu Pradhau (b. 1943) 7'A(; Telegram on the Table A Relationship Dhruba Chandra (iautam (b. 1944) The Fire PART TWO 759 159 171 173 189 189 197 197 201 206 207 214 224 224 231...