New Nepal

Siddhicharan Shrestha

(Translated by - Shreedhar Lohani)

Arise! Wake up!

Reveal the hidden
O New Nepal
Speak up truth and beauty!

Let the cleanest current of consciousness

Gush forth with vigour
O New Nepal
Jump up and soar over
This black uphill precipice.

Set free the courage

Stifled with age-long persecution
O New Nepal
Send packing the worn-out disorder
With furious laughter.

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.

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.

Those not-to-be done acts

Performed in desperation
Under the cankerous inequality of wealth
By hungry stomachs and barebacks
Annihilate all such evil elements
O New Nepal!
Glossary:
Consciousness - awareness
Gush - flow out of something in a rapid and plentiful stream
Forth - ahead in time
Vigour - energy/physical strength and good health
Soar - rise rapidly
Precipice - a very steep cliff
Stifled - suppressed
Persecution - torture
Furious - enraged/angered
Resplendent - having great beauty and splendor/attractive and impressive
Conflagrate - inflame/kindle/cause to start burning
Desperation - a state in which all hope is lost or absent
Cankerous - having an ulcer/a destructive disease
Annihilate - kill in a large number

Summary:

This poem was composed by Shiddhicharan Shrestha (21 May 1912 – 4 June 1992). The poet
spoke of the hopes and frustrations of politically suppressed people who were struggling for
democracy. For writing revolutionary poems, he was jailed for eighteen years. In this poem as
well, he prays for the Nepalese people to speak up for their rights. It is a political poem
translated into English by Shreedhar Lohani. The poem encourages Nepalese people to rise
above the inequities of the past and bring in a revival (resurgence) of freedom and self-
respect.

This poem was written during Rana’s rule. People were not able or courageous enough to
speak out against cruelty. If anyone tried to speak, that person would be punished. A lack of
courage resided in the hearts of the public due to the massive domination of the past. They
could not bring new ideas. Through this poem, the poet wants to inspire innocent people
who have been suppressed by Rana’s rule and their atrocities, as well as those who have
suffered from racial, political, cultural, and economic discrimination and ignorance.

He prayed for them to wake up, raise their voice against such ill-treatment, and answer their
injustice. He wished for a new Nepal where no one felt fear. They were equally respected by
each other. They talked about the truth from the depths of their being. They were free from
ignorance. They did not follow their superstitious thoughts rather than find the truth. They
held their heads high, with better identity and dignity. He tells the reader to speak the truth,
show bravery, and move forward to bring a bright day. He requested Mother Nepal to bless
us with courage and caution, and to bless us with power and union. Our unity can make it
possible. He advises us not to follow distasteful rituals, heartless class divisions, and chains of
discrimination. And to completely eliminate (remove) such evil elements so that our Nepal
can be transformed into a new Nepal.