Poetry: The Untouchable’s Complaint

We suffer day and night 
We pray to the ruler
Even the Lord is indifferent to our pain
When will the burden of our sorrows be lessened?
 
We will go to the clergyman’s court 
We will lose religion and turn English 
Hey Ram! Changing religion will do no good
How shall we see ourselves in the mirror?
 
You saved Prahlad from tearing apart the pillar
You rescued Gajraj from the claws of the crocodile
When Dushasan tried to strip Draupadi
You appeared and offered her saree 
 
You killed Ravana and protected Bibhisana 
Lifted the mountain on your finger
Where are you asleep now callously 
Are You afraid of touching us Doms?
 
We toil day and night 
And receive two rupees for a month
Thakur sleeps sweetly at his home
We plough the field and make our ends meet
 
The lord’s men descend upon us 
And enslave us to work for free 
We bear the pain silently and serve
We’ll report this to the government 
 
We’ll not beg like the Babhans
Will not wield lathis (sticks) like the Thakurs
Will not cheat like the Sahus while weighing 
Will not steal cows like the Ahirs
We’ll not go to the court wearing turbans
 
We’ll earn shedding our own sweat and blood
We’ll eat sharing meals at home 
Even the Babhan have bodies of flesh and blood
But is worshipped in every home 
 
In all directions he is hosted well
We can’t even go near the well
Churning mud, our hands, legs are broken
Why is our condition so miserable and we forsaken?
 
Translated from Bhojpuri by Abhay K.