Personal yet universal, Vanita’s poetry soars in its depth and resonance

The concept of kalchakra — the eternal cycle of time — has been deeply embedded in Indian thought for centuries. The Sanskrit term kala, meaning time, also signifies death and destruction, linking it to Yama, the god of death. Indian seers and scriptures have long grappled with the profound nature of time, which, at a cosmic level, is vast and immeasurable but, for mortals, is reduced to fleeting moments (ghadi and pal). Vanita, an eminent Punjabi poet, captures these transient moments, infusing them with meaning and poetic expression. Her poetry navigates the contradictions of existence, transforming seemingly mundane or barren experiences into profound reflections.

In her poem ‘Wordless’, Vanita articulates how her life has been shaped not by abstract philosophies but by lived experiences — an essence permeating much of this collection. Irony and contradiction surface in ‘In the Sunshine’, where the poet, while holding her child, is drawn to her maid’s child, who reaches out with expectant eyes. Just as she bends to pick him up, her pet dog begins to bark, her baby starts crying, and the moment is lost — highlighting the stark realities of class and privilege.

The theme of faith’s transformation across generations unfolds in ‘God’. The poet’s grandmother believes in “One God, One Universe”, but her mother, disillusioned, divides this faith into two. By the poet’s time, a third entity is added, and her daughter, in a radical act, declares God dead and symbolically disperses His ashes, reflecting the ever-evolving nature of belief. This encapsulates the relentless motion of kalchakra, where destruction leads to new creation.

In ‘Raindrops’, Vanita laments unfulfilled desires, likening them to a monsoon sky heavy with clouds that never release rain. Similarly, in another poem, ‘Earthquakes Don’t Just Happen’, she describes a suffocating house, where a mere sigh from her shatters its walls — an evocative metaphor for rebellion against stagnation. Her poetry is deeply personal yet universal, allowing readers to see fragments of their own lives in her verses.

Tejwant Singh Gill, an accomplished translator and scholar, skillfully conveys the delicate imagery and nuanced expressions of Vanita’s poetry. However, some cultural and linguistic intricacies remain challenging to translate. For instance, kal is rendered as “eternal time”, though in the Indian knowledge system, it also signifies transience. Despite minor factual errors, such as the reference to a black rose or Panchali’s death, Vanita’s poetry soars in its depth and resonance.

As with many translations of Indian poetry into English, some of the lyrical beauty and cultural essence is inevitably lost. Yet, this volume succeeds in bringing Vanita’s poetic brilliance to a wider audience. For a full appreciation of her artistry, reading her work in the original Punjabi remains unparalleled.

— The writer is an author and publisher