MATCHBOX

The Seven Queens – Sindhi Devanagari

The Seven Queen – Perso-Arabic

The Seven Queens: Sindhi Folktales Retold in English Verse
By Menka Shivdasani; translated into Sindhi by Barkha Khushalani
Published by: Black Eagle Books, USA and India
Price $18 (International edition); Rs 400 (Indian edition)

Menka Shivdasani, a Mumbai-based poet, recently launched her book, The Seven Queens: Sindhi Folktales Retold in English Verse. The book was released on September 21, 2024, at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. Her work, originally written in English as poetic dialogues, has been translated into Sindhi by Barkha Khushalani. The translations appear in both Devnagari and Perso-Arabic scripts, along with the original English poems. Read these two scripts in PDF format above.

Speaking about her journey, Menka says in her Author’s Note: “The spiritual truths these allegories conveyed were universal and had nothing to do with the organised religion that so taints our lives in the divided world we live in today. There is divinity in all of us, as the Sufi saints say, and these connections with our deepest selves resonate as much in modern times as they did 5,000 and more years ago…”

She adds: “Over time, what began to appeal to me the most about these folktales was the fact that the women had agency – they went after whatever they wanted rather than waiting like wilted roses for life to happen to them”.

Mohan Gehani, a senior Sindhi scholar and poet, writes in the Foreword: “She (Menka Shivdasani) is a seasoned poet in her own right, and I will not add anything to that aspect of her poetry as it speaks for itself. Her treatment of the folktale narration only through two main characters catches the essence of the story in a remarkable manner. By her deft handling, she imparts immortality to the characters, and they continue to be
united for all time, signifying an unending bond of love.”

The Seven Queens: Sindhi Folktales Retold in English Verse has been published by Black Eagle Books, a USA and India-based publisher. The book is available globally on all Amazon sites at a USD18 equivalent in local currency. The book is also available at the Harvard Book Store – Search | Harvard Book Store and at over 1,000 bookstores in the USA. The Indian edition, priced at Rs 400, will be available soon.

Buy The Seven Queens: Sindhi Folktales Retold in English Verse (International Edition) here:

Noori

And yet you doubted me.
You say I matter, but who knows,
when I grow old, and wrinkles crack my face.
will there be another you will find more dear?
You treat your queens as no more than worthless
playthings in your hands; each vies for your attention
in any way they can. They flutter
their winged eyelashes to catch your distant gaze.
Their tongues are sharp, for they are truly crazed,
lonely amidst the cawing of your flock.
They need you, but all you can do is mock,
and someday, I could be one among them too,
when you find someone younger, fresh and new.
As for my visitor, that has concerned you so.
Yes, my brother has been stealing past the palace gates,
with nothing but the moon to light his way.
He comes when you sleep to help me feel at home,
creeping in and out with a rough wicker basket in his hand.
Your queens insisted that I gave him jewels
behind your back,

They have been jealous, with good reason, but you?
You say you love me, yet where is the trust?
You did not believe me when I said this was untrue.
So here, my king, who claims to love me so,
here is the container I have kept for my brother
to take back.

It has nothing but fish bones and grainy crumbs,
the food from home I relish every night.
In your palace, the kitchens overflow,
but the rich mangos and dates will never seem enough,
because on the mud floor of our shanty by the Keenjhar,
I have eaten delicacies you will never know.
The saffron-scented pulaos from your rasoi
are no match for the sweet pallo
from my mother’s wrinkled hand.

Jaam Tamachi

Noori, you are my seventh queen, but will always
be the first;

I have known the others and seen through their
worthless wiles.

On that day of truth, when I said I would take one,
and only one of my queens on an evening out,
they donned rich robes and sought me through
kohl-lined eyes,

but their rouged cheeks and hennaed hands
were rough against my palm.
Not just their faces, but their pockmarked hearts,
fill me with disgust. Noori, the aroma of fish
that seeps through the garments you continue to wear
is richer to me than all the ittar in our land.
Only you, whose beauty outshines them all,
need no artifice to seek attention
Someday, the saints will remember you;
you take pride in yourself, and that is always good,
but your humility and grace
are stronger and truer than anything I have ever seen.
You will outlive us all, Noori,
staying true to yourself, yet humble to the last.

Noori

You must be kinder to the queens;
show them they have been important to you.
How can you value me if the others don’t matter, too?
And when you are ready, Jaam Tamachi,
I will join you where the waters flow;
the River God will greet us there.
Let me show you the riches of the forest by the lake,
where we can live eternally without a care.

And to this day, the Keenjhar murmurs
between one heart and another
and the River God is listening
as the sun sets on the water.
The raucous crows of spite and greed
with kohl-lined eyes and pointed beaks
still circle the rocks that line the lake.
They hope their cawing will somehow shake
the quiet depths of the lovers’ sleep
but the moon shines on the melody
of songbirds on the rustling reeds
and the waves are gentle on the rocky shore
where the fisherwoman and king lie evermore
and the forest feels alive.