New Nepal
Summary
The
poem, "New Nepal", by Siddhicharan Shrestha, is a translated version
of the original poem 'Naya Nepal'. In this political poem, the speaker
makes a strong call to raise voices against the then Rana rule. The
speaker seems to be a rebel who urges for freedom, self-respect,
and equality. In the poem, the poet encourages people to speak against all
sorts of tyranny that exists in society.
People, during Rana's rule, were too timid to raise their voices against the Ranas because if anyone tried to speak, they would be punished severely. People were not courageous enough to revolt against the Ranas due to the massive domination of the past. Since the Ranas maintained fear, no one dared to speak against them. So, through the poem, the poet wanted to inspire common people to speak for their rights and freedom and ultimately overthrow the Rana regime.
Summary (stanza-wise):
In the first stanza, the poet appeals to all the
Nepalese to speak the truth. He urges to unfold the hidden miseries and rebel
against the prevalent domination, discrimination, and injustice.
In the second stanza, the poet energizes people to
rebel like an unstoppable and continuous stream /river and challenge all the
obstacles of their journey /struggle. He asks people to overcome all those
obstacles with joint effort, and that way it becomes easier to overthrow
long-rooted cruelty and injustice.
In the third stanza, the poet asks people to set
free the long-suppressed courage to fight against age-long persecution.
Bravery, courage, and fearlessness should come forth to enlighten people in
order to overthrow worn-out social disorder.
In the fourth stanza, the poet pleads not to stop
the newly begun struggle (advancing steps) to remove the social evils. Those
advancing steps require support and energy to accomplish the targeted goal. The
poet requests almighty to bless them with courage along with caution. Caution
is required to control overwhelming feelings, emotions, and anxieties.
In the fifth stanza, the poet talks about
long-practiced distasteful rituals such as untouchability and casteism. He adds
that untouchability and casteism are a hindrance to social progress and thus
required to be eliminated forever from every society. Not only those social
evils but also the social hierarchy, injustice, domination, and dictatorship
should also be abolished. That is how socially exploited, marginalized, and
minority people's social status can be uplifted. The poet thinks that there
should be an intellectual discussion to abolish such an inhuman tradition.
In the last stanza, the poet takes up a rather
serious issue. He says that a hungry and bareback person cannot contribute to
amending social disorder. They are concerned about quenching their hunger. A
hungry person can go to any extent to fulfill their basic needs, i. e. food,
shelter, and clothes. He/she can't distinguish right and wrong while being
hungry, and thus they disregard all sorts of morality. So, in New Nepal, hungry
stomachs and bare backs cannot survive. In order to live a decent and respectable
life, every person needs food, clothes, and shelter, without which revolution
cannot take place, and the dream of New Nepal can never come true.
New Nepal Poem by Shiddicharan Shrestha in Nepali
|
English |
Nepali |
|
Arise!
Wake up! Reveal
the hidden O
New Nepal Speak
up truth and beauty! |
जागिदेऊ, विम्झिदेऊ गुप्त जे छन् खोलिदेऊ सत्य, सुन्दर बोलिदेऊ हे नयाँ नेपाल हाम्रो । |
|
Let
the cleanest current of consciousness Gush
forth with vigour O
New Nepal Jump
up and soar over This
black uphill precipice. |
प्रबल गतिले बग्न देऊ स्वच्छतम् चैतन्य धारा यो विषम कालो उकाली नाघिदेऊ फड्किदेऊ हे नयाँ नेपाली हाम्रो । |
|
Set
free the courage Stifled
with age-long persecution O
New Nepal Send
packing the worn-out disorder With
furious laughter. |
धेरै दिनको दलनद्वारा युग गुगान्तरदेखि रुद्ध सौर्य हाम्रो जागि देऊ क्रुद्ध हाँसोमा उडाई जीर्ण बेथित झारिदेऊ हे नयाँ नेपाल हाम्रो । |
|
Let
the advancing foot Take
the new step To
bring forth the bright day O
New Nepal Bless
us with courage and caution Power
and union. |
बढ्न लागेको नवीन कदम हाम्रो बढ्न देऊ दिन उज्यालो तान्नलाई जोश देऊ होश देऊ हे नयाँ नेपाल हाम्रो । |
|
Distasteful
rituals Heartless
class divisions Away
with all such idle forces O
New Nepal Let
the living thoughts Resplendent
within Nepali hearts Conflagrate
and open up. |
मन नपर्दो रीतभात हृदय लुट्ने वर्गजात व्यर्थको केको दबाब झुल्कने जाज्वल्यमान भित्रका जिउँदा बिचार सकल नेपाली हृदयका बल्न देऊ, खुल्न देऊ हे नयाँ नेपाल हाम्रो । |
|
Those
not-to-be done acts Performed
in desperation Under
the cankerous inequality of wealth By
hungry stomachs and bare backs Annihilate
all such evil elements O
New Nepal! |
गर्ननहुने कर्म के के विवशताले गर्नलाई पेट भोको, देह नाङ्गो विषम सम्पतिले दबाई मनुजताको ¥हास पार्ने तत्व सारा मासि देऊ हे नयाँ नेपाल हाम्रो। |
Some Possible Questions with their
Answers:
Answer: The intended audience of the poem
"New Nepal" is the people of Nepal, particularly those who are
concerned about the future of the country and who seek to bring about change.
The speaker is not specified, but it can be inferred that the speaker is
someone who is passionate about the future of Nepal and wants to inspire others
to join in the effort to bring about positive change.
Answer: The general context of the poem
"New Nepal" is the desire for a new and better future for Nepal, a
country that has faced many challenges in the past, including poverty,
inequality, and political instability.
Answer: Courage is stifled because it has been
suppressed for a long time due to age-long persecution. The effect of such
stifling is that people are afraid to speak out and take action to bring about
change.
Answer: The poet calls for the people of Nepal
to awaken, to reveal the truth and beauty that lies within them, and to take
action to bring about a better future for their country. The poet calls on all
Nepali people to work together to overcome the challenges they face and to
build a brighter future.
5. What is the theme of the poem New Nepal?
Answer: The theme of the poem "New
Nepal" is hope and the possibility for positive change in Nepal. The poem
is a call to action for the people of Nepal to awaken and work together to
bring about a better future for their country.
6. What are the evil elements referred to in the poem ‘New Nepal’?
Answer: The evil elements referred to in the
poem "New Nepal" are the negative forces that have held back the
country and its people, such as poverty, inequality, and political instability.
The poet calls for these forces to be destroyed so that the people of Nepal can
move forward towards a brighter future.
7. Write a character sketch of the type of person the speaker is based on what
he says in the poem.
Answer: The speaker of the poem "New
Nepal" is someone who is passionate and hopeful about the future of Nepal.
The speaker is likely someone who is deeply committed to bringing about
positive change in their country and who is willing to work hard to achieve
that goal.
Answer: The tone and mood of the poem
"New Nepal" are hopeful and inspiring. The speaker is urging the
people of Nepal to awaken and work together to build a better future, and the
mood is one of encouragement and optimism.
9. What do “Heartless class divisions” refer to?
Answer: "Heartless class divisions"
refers to the division of people based on their wealth or social status, which
the poet believes is harmful and disruptive to society. The poet calls for
these divisions to be destroyed so that the people of Nepal can work together
towards a common goal.
10. What wrongs of “Old Nepal” does the poet want “New Nepal “to amend?
Answer: The poet wants "New Nepal"
to amend the wrongs of "Old Nepal," such as poverty, inequality, and
political instability. The poet is calling for a new and better future for the
country and its people, one that is free of these negative forces.
11. The poem ‘New Nepal’ reads like a prayer. Do you agree? Give reasons.
Answer: The poem "New Nepal" does
read like a prayer, in the sense that the speaker is asking for something to
happen and is appealing to a higher power for help. The speaker is calling on
the people of Nepal to awaken and work together to build a better future, and
this call to action can be seen as a form of prayer or request.
12. What is the central message of the
poem "New Nepal"?
Answer: The central message of the poem
is a call to action for the people of Nepal to work towards creating a better
future for their country.
13. What does the author express frustration with in the current state of Nepal?
Answer: The author expresses frustration with the distasteful rituals, heartless class divisions, and cankerous inequality of wealth in the current state of Nepal.
14. What is the author's call to action for the Nepali people?
Answer: The author's call to action for the
Nepali people is to come together and reject the outdated and oppressive forces
that have held them back, and to work towards a common goal of creating a
brighter future for their country.
15. How does the author convey his message in the poem?
Answer: The author conveys his message in the poem through powerful imagery and language, such as calling for the people of Nepal to "speak up truth and beauty" and "jump up and soar over" their current hardships.
Some important expressions used in
the poem to understand the theme and message
"age-long persecution" - This phrase refers to a long period
of time during which the people of Nepal have been oppressed or subjected to
unjust treatment.
"worn-out disorder" - This phrase refers to a state of
confusion and chaos that has become outdated and needs to be changed.
"cankerous inequality of
wealth" - This phrase refers to a state of
affairs in which wealth is distributed in an unfair and corrupt manner, leading
to unequal access to resources and opportunities.
"performed in
desperation" - This phrase refers to actions
taken by people who are in a state of desperation, with little choice or hope
for a better future.
"annihilate all such evil
elements" - This phrase refers to the need
to destroy or eliminate negative or oppressive forces to create a better future
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