One Hundred Poems of Chokha Mela (2015)
Curated, translated, annotated and introduced by Chandrakant Kaluram Mhatre
Selected translations from Dalit saint-poet Chokha Mela, attentive to poetic form
and to the performative, devotional, and anti-caste force of these abhang.
Featured Poem
कोण तो सोवळा, कोण तो ओवळा
Source Text
कोण तो सोवळा
कोण तो वोवळा ।
दोहींच्या वेगळा
विठ्ठल माझा ॥१॥
कोणासी विटाळ
कशाचा जाहला ।
मुळीचा संचला
सोवळाची ॥२॥
पाचांचा विटाळ
येकाचिये आंगा ।
सोवळा तो जगा-
माजी कोण ॥३॥
चोखा म्हणे माझा
विठ्ठल सोवळा ।
अरूपे आगळा
विटेवरी ॥४॥
●🙙🙛●
Target Text
Who be the pure?
Who be the impure?
Beyond the both,
Vitthal mine.
Who got polluted?
By which means?
Conceived essentially
As the Pure.
Pollution of the Five*
Within one body,
Then pure in the world
How can be any?
Chokha says mine
Vitthal alone is pure;
Despite being formless,
He stands on the brick.
●🙙🙛●
* The five elements of nature: Earth, Air, Fire, Water & Sky. All the human beings, just like the remainder of the Creation, are said to be formed out of these Five Great Elements.
SELECTED PoemS
Sugarcane misshapen, but the sap is not
ऊस डोंगा परी रस नोहे डोंगा
(Read)
Privileged I am / To supplicate at your feet
अधिकार माझा / निवेदन पाई
(Read)
Rush forth, O Vithu, do not walk so slow
धाव घाली विठु आता चालु नको मंद
(Read)
Salutation, o my parents, salutation
जोहार मायबाप जोहार
(Read)