by Mohan Rana

Mohan Rana

Mohan Rana

Mohan Rana is one of the important poet writing in Hindi. He has published six collections of poems in Hindi. ‘Jagah’ (1994), Jaise janam koi darwaja’ (1997), ‘subah ki dak’ (2002), ‘is chhod par’ (2003), ‘patthar ho jayegi nadi’ (2007), ‘Dhup andhere mein’ (2008).  ‘With Eyes Closed’ (2008) is poems in English Translation. According to the poet and critic Nandkishore Acharya, “Amongst the new generation of Hindi poets, the poetry of Mohan Rana stands alone; it defies any categorisation. However, its refusal to fit any ideology doesn’t mean that Mohan Rana’s poetry shies away from thinking – but that it knows the difference between thinking in verse and thinking about poetry. For Mohan Rana the poetic process in itself is also thought process.” ‘Ajanabi banta pehchan’ is one of the important poem and it is translated by Lucy Rosenstein.

A stranger I get to know

Let’s see who lives in this house
I stand patiently with hands folded
And knock on the door
Hoping to be surprised
What an old door, I think
I hear the wind tangled in the bushes
The echo of traffic
My breath, my quickening heartbeat
I wipe my shoes on the mat
And put my ear to the door
Is someone coming?
I close my eyes
I see a hand stop for a moment, touch the latch
I breathe out as if infinity shrinks there

Inside
And out
I am the door
A stranger
I get to know