No more star-light in the sky,
only owls and bats cry
under the rotten Moon,
with the wind of violent pleasure
they just fly, they just fly.
Everything is burning—
things that were precious once,
everything is burning
burning into ash and dust
the Chaos flame
squeezing life from the poet
burning in everything—
things that were precious once.
Gita is burning in the flame of phantomic pain,
Vedas are burning in the flame of phantomic pain,
Upanishads are burning together with Tripitakan,
Gospels are Burning so as Bible and Quran
those are in flame
those are in flame
of grief and traumatic pain
Temples are burning
Pagodas are burning
Synagogues are burning
Churches are burning
Masjids are burning
burning with ruth’s Kaaba
Kashi is burning
Goya is burning
Haifa is burning
Bethlehem is burning
burning with ruth’s Kaaba
that flame is taking down
every city, every town
which we cared so much for at ones
lie behind the scar of Easter star
Nazareth is sinking into pain,
the drums of war began the roar,
Kabbala is vanishing into vein,
Kabbala is vanishing into vein.
Blood splits from the pen of its poet
as the geists started to dance,
societies … shaking
states … breaking
communities … flouting
Nations … breeding clown
blood splits from the pen of its poet
as that flame is taking everything down.
Parliaments are breaking,
Constitutions on fire,
Democracy is in ash,
only Niro’s words fuse with the lyre
only Niro, only Niro and his mass.
politics is burning,
socio-mix is burning,
burning all the state machine,
in the fire of doom
breasts are burning
it’s chewing every bio-gene.
The fire is melting the oppressed body
the rulers and the oppressors as well,
the empire of capital is burning brown,
as the sixth circle of Dante’s hell.
Cannons … blasting,
machineguns … casting
and missiles … on flight,
with mist and lusty light
on nights sky
silence breaks down,
Oh Khuda[i]! Mr. Drone in the town
with fiery fearsome fiery eye
Mr. drone, that Yankee toy boy.
After the end of some Dream,
the witches of Macbeth
wake from sleep and says:
‘that will be ere the set of sun
and the mad will lead the blind
plague will take the control of growth
pandemic will shape the time’
all the Little boys and all the Fat mans
will blast in phallic pantomime.
Humans are running, falling, dying
Humanity is breaking down
that fire, that fire that ravaging fire
that fire is killing the town.
This civilization is at its end,
don’t resist…let it die, let it die,
let all pious beliefs break down,
don’t try to save anymore,
please don’t try, don’t cry
all the tantras[ii] and all the mantras[iii]
all the kitabs[iv] and all the kalams[v]
alems[vi] and idiots…let them all die
don’t recite their names
those great ones that died before,
let them lie in death as same
for the sake of mother core
let all the sacrificed die once more.
These words are from the dreamer,
the architect of this matrix we named Gaya,
these words are from Alef[vii], the dreamer,
the becoming became from who’s saya[viii],
who’s voice whispers in poets’ heart and it says¾
not towards chaos but truth, only truth
not towards darkness but light, only light
not towards death but life, eternal life
let there muse the music of peace
in every being, in every life.
[1] Khuda: God [1] tantra: Rules of austere religious practices as that of the Shaktas; a section or branch of the Vedas [1] mantra: Mystical formula; incantation; spell; charm; hymn or verse (in praise of some deity); advice [1] kitab: Sacred text [1] kalam: discussion and debate [1] alem: Islamic scholar [1] Alef: Allah [1] saya: Shadow
Translated by Imran Kamal
Kamaluddin Nilu is a theatre director and independent researcher, Norway. He is affiliated with Centre for Ibsen Studies, University of Oslo. He has been Chair Professor of Theatre Department, Hyderabad Central University, India, and Fellow of International Research Center “Interweaving Performance Cultures”, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. He was a Fellow of The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). Kamaluddin Nilu was a member of the jury for the International Ibsen Prize and elected board member of the International Ibsen Committee.
[i] Khuda: God
[ii] tantra: Rules of austere religious practices as that of the Shaktas; a section or branch of the Vedas
[iii] mantra: Mystical formula; incantation; spell; charm; hymn or verse (in praise of some deity); advice
[iv] kitab: Sacred text
[v] kalam: discussion and debate
[vi] alem: Islamic scholar
[vii] Alef: Allah
[viii] saya: Shadow