The Taste of Iron
by Hussain Haidry
(A loose translation)
A blacksmith after reading
Sudama Pandey “Dhoomil’s” poem
"The taste of Iron"
went straight to a stable,
and started asking the horses
"what's the taste of iron?"
Some, neighing, said:
a bit bland
a bit hot
a bit bitter
some, tapping their feet, said:
like spit
like blood
like pus
Some, pulling on the bridle, said:
of enslavement
of helplessness
of anger
The horses started shouting
over one another
causing a ruckus in the stable
The blacksmith picked up a hammer
hit a horse on the head
and asked,
in the ensuing silence:
“OK, now tell me,
in soft voice,
in clear language,
peacefully, and lovingly,
in one voice,
what's the taste of iron”
--
Hussain Haidry is a well known poet, lyricist, and a prominent voice on Twitter. Please follow him on Twitter(@hussainhaidry) if you don't already. Hussain's original hindi poem can be found at the link below, and I'd urge you to read it, if you know Hindi. I'm, at best, an amateur at translation, and the poem reads much better in Hindi. The poem title is based on these lines from Dhoomil’s eponymous poem: लोहे का स्वाद लोहार से मत पूछो, उस घोड़े से पूछो जिसके मुंह में लगाम है “Don’t ask the blacksmith the taste of iron ask the horse who carries the bridle in its mouth”
https://rajkamalbooks.wordpress.com/2020/07/15/hussainhaidrypoems/