Sarbjot Singh Behl

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The angry protests by farmers against legislation rammed through Parliament in September by the Centre (despite agriculture being a state subject) touched poets and artists across the country. This beautiful poem is from the Punjab, born from the poet’s anguished reflections on the everyday struggles of a small farmer. The lovely accompanying illustrations, inspired by the poem, are from a very young artist in Bengaluru.

Tale of a farmer Till, sow, plough and reap  Are the promises I keep  To the good earth beneath my feet Such is life...  Till the last breath this body breathes The soil I watered with my sweat Storms I weathered on my chest Biting cold or summer heat  Could never make my spirit retreat Such is life...  Till the last breath this body breathesWhat nature could not, the ruler did Put my spirit’s effigy  Like a scarecrow in fields of plenty For his mirth and mockery  Such is life...  Till the last breath this body breathes In days gone by, my fields were spread Where heavens with the earth met But alas! Now I’m only left  With a couple of acres to pay my debt Such is life...  Till I breathe my last breath My harvest gold, white, and green I bring to market hopes umpteen Dashed hopes and empty hands Are the gifts of my lands  Such is life...till death agrees  To put me out of this misery Children whine, unfed, unlettered Their dreams now lie scattered Under the roof, just debris Bodies broken, souls shattered Such is life...  Till the last breath this body breathes All the gems, jewellery gone, Empty stomachs, souls forlorn But I have promises to keep To quell the hunger and the greed Such is life...  Till the last breath this body breathes The golden harvest that I reap No merchant ever wants to keep Debt ridden, in distress so deep My leaden heart can hardly beat Such is life...  Till the last breath this body breathes Can there be another solution? It’s either noose or revolution Sickle and scythe no longer tools But are now arms indeed  Such is life...  Till the last breath this body breathes

Translated from the original Punjabi by Jeena Singh, an Amritsar-based architect.Illustrator Antara Raman is a recent graduate of Visual Communication from Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bengaluru. Conceptual art and storytelling in all its forms are the biggest influences on her illustration and design practice.  Audio in English: Sudhanva Deshpande is an actor and director with Jana Natya Manch, and an editor with LeftWord Books.

‘A couple of acres to pay my debt’

খেতিয়কৰ নিস্তাৰ নাই, মাটি বিনে অসহায়...

‘एकरभर जमीन अन् ढीगभर कर्ज’

‘என் கடனைத் தீர்க்க, இரண்டு ஏக்கர் இருக்கிறது’

‘শুধু বিঘে দুই, আছে মোর ভুঁই, মুছে যাবে সেও ঋণে’

‘ମୋ ଋଣ ଶୁଝିବା ପାଇଁ ରହିଛି କେଇ ଏକର ଜମି’

’قرض چُکانے کے لیے کچھ ایکڑ زمین‘

वह धरती जहां ज़मीन बेचकर क़र्ज़ चुकाए जाते हैं

ʼನನ್ನ ಸಾಲ ತೀರಿಸಲೆಂದು ಕೆಲವು ಎಕರೆʼ

‘ਮੇਰੇ ਕਰਜ਼ੇ ਦੇ ਭੁਗਤਾਨ ਲਈ ਕੁਝ ਏਕੜ ਜ਼ਮੀਨ’

Amritsar

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‘A couple of acres to pay my debt’

Despite the pandemic and lockdown, tens of thousands of farmers have hit the streets across India since September 25 to protest against three new farm laws. This is a poem in anguish on their struggles

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