Birth Centenary Celebrations of Jananeta Irabat Singh, 1996 : Book Translation
- Part 10 -
Discussion on Irabot’s "Imagi Puja [Worshipping the Mother]" : Part 4

James Oinam *

Birth Centenary Celebrations of Jananeta Irabat Singh, 1996 : Book Cover

Discussion on Irabot’s "Imagi Puja [Worshipping the Mother]": Part 4
Dr. Karam Manimohan

Translator’s Note: Translated from Manipuri section of the book below
Book: Birth Centenary Celebrations of Jananeta Irabat Singh, 1996
Editor: L. Damodar Singh
Joint Editor: Dr. N. Tombi Singh
Jointly Organised by Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Calcutta
and Department of Art and Culture, Manipur,
Sept. 29 and Oct. 13, 1996

Cover design: Premananda Roy
Published by: Shri Th. Subol Singh
Printed at: Padma Printers (Computerised), Paona Bazar, Imphal – 795001

After the war Irabot brought in new words and expressions in poetry bringing a new taste to it. He gave a poetic dimension different from the romantic love. He writes in Emagi Puja in a picturesque way: “Eegi eengakta chelle/thak thak nikle”.

Most of his poems gives a smell of blood, shows the colour of blood, thus giving a vision of wartime to the readers.

Pumngang ngangle eena
Shikarigi gulina palabra?
Eena uphun karaba leibakta
Mikok kaya kaya purakli
Atei kaya amashu khomjilli
Firal makhongda hapkatli

[Everything is red with blood
Got hit by bullet of hunter?
The earth is dusty with blood
Many heads are brought
Many more are gathered
Being piled at the foot of the flag]

In a poem titled “Mang Ama” (A Dream), the poet says:

Bamb topki gulina
Mi makup makup pai nungshitta
Nungshitna pukhatpa ee marikna
Churak-e nong oina leibakta
Mi makup makupna eeda tottuna
Leikhom thok-e mishana
Anganggi thabakna oikhre
Sipahisinggi chan(?)
Sangingi thinpham
“Holliba swarda mi makup
Thokliba eshingda ee marik”

[Bomb and cannon balls
Throws pieces of body in the air
Blood droplets blown up by air
Drizzles back on the land like rain
Pieces of body smeared in blood
Form mud of human body
The chest of children becomes
Targets(?) of soldiers
A place to stab bayonets
“In the breath is human pieces
In the water comes out blood droplets”

Note: Is the author saying that since you are breathing in and out human pieces (completely submerged in an ocean of blood), droplets of blood are coming out in urine?]

To be continued .....