Bread and Gun

By Rajendra Bimal

This beautiful house-land's ownership is with me,
But he is lavishly enjoying by using it !
I am a free citizen of a free country,
But he says, 'Dance!'
And I dance.
He says, 'Sing!'
And I sing.
He tells me to laugh, and I laugh.
He tells me to cry, and I cry.
My soul is in the bound, by my own consent!
Because, in his hands, there is bread and a gun!

If he wishes, I can rise to the peak of power.
He makes me to kill my brothers, sisters, and
Even my father and mother, by my own hand,
And keeps a record of it,
All the evidence of the heinous crimes I commit under his command, are safely stored in his file!
Later, if I do not obey his orders,
With the evidence of my own deeds in hand,
He will have me hung on the gallows!
He is the greatest democrat.
He is the greatest socialist.
He is the greatest saint.
He is the all-powerful one.
Because, in his hands, there is bread and a gun!

With that very bread and gun,
He has made me his bond-slave,
Yes, with that bread and gun,
He has made me his serf,
For ages!!

Translated by Rameshwar Yadav