Summary/Four Levels of the Poem The Parrot in the Cage (For BBS Second Year and BBA | BBA-BI | BBA-TT | BHM | BHCM | BCIS First Semester)( With Nepali Poem and 1974 AD's Song)

The Parrot in the Cage

- Lekhnath Poudyal

Summary:

The classical, symbolical and revolutionary poem ‘The Parrot in the Cage’ was written by Lekhnath Poudyal, the laureate poet of Nepal, and the poem was translated into English by L.P Devkota, the great poet of Nepal. The poem is about the lamentation, grief and bitter experience of a parrot, who has been captivated in an iron cage. While living there, he has lost his peace of mind and restful situation. So, he desires to live happy and free life in the forest. But the selfish, cruel and wicked humans have kept him in the cage. He tries his every best to come out from the cage and wants to go to his home where there are his family, relatives and friends. But unfortunately, he is unable to come out of the cage because his beak is paralyzed. So, he laments being ill-fated and blames his own fate. More, he feels like a corpse and thinks that there is no chance for him to get out from there until his death. In his confinement, he has been defeated with his blunt beak and cramped wings and feet while trying to open the iron cage. Thus, he is completely helpless and dejected, and he does not want to speak. But the people, who have confined him there, always force him to speak. Not only this, he is not given enough food and always humiliated. In fact, it has been his compulsion to stay in the cage enduring the agony. Therefore, he wishes to be free from there and even asks God not to give him the life of a parrot again.

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Symbolically, the poem is a true reflection of human grief, agony, domination, exploitation and limited life in the Rana Regime. The speaker has tried to show that Nepali were unhappy, suppressed and dominated by the tyrannical rule. Here, the parrot is a symbol of the Nepali citizens, and the cage symbolizes the unnecessary injustice and bondage of the Rana imposed upon Nepali. Like the parrot, Nepali did not like limited and controlled life though they were in prison. Thus, they had a dream of free and happy life, and they struggled much from their side as the parrot has done in the poem.

Original Nepali Poem Composed by Lekhnath Poudyal

बालक बबुरो दिजशुक नाम

हुँ म परेको छु पिंजडामा 

मकन हरे शिव शान्ति र चैन

सपना बिच पनि रति भर छैन

मेरा बान्धव बाबु र आमा 

बस्छन वनका एक कुनामा

को सित पोखुँ मनको ताप 

गर्दै पिजडा बाट बिलाप

अंशु बगाई कहिले रुन्छु 

कहिले मुर्दा तुल्य म हुन्छु 

कहिले पागल सरि उफ्रन्छु 

केवल वनका सुख सम्झन्छु   

फलफुल खाइ नित्य रमाई 

वनमा फिर्ने बबुरो लाई

विधिले पार्यो पिजडा भित्र

कर्म हरे शिव हुन्छ बिचित्र 

वरी परी बैरीहरु छन् सारा

छैन कतै तिर कोही सहारा 

के गरु कसरी उम्की जाऊँ    

को सित मन को दर्द बिसाऊँ

पिजडा फोडु भनिकन चुच्चो  

बल संग धस्दा भो सब बुच्चो 

बेसरी कुजिए पक्ष्य र पाऊँ

कसरि अब हा काल बिताऊँ

यो कस्तो हो कसरि आयो 

बसी कन पिंजडा  बिच के खायो 

यो सब बुझ्ने कोहि छैन

हाय यसैले मन रहदैन 

सुस्खा छ घटी बन्धन चर्को

बोल्नै पर्ने झर्को अर्को 

बोलेन भने लाठी उजाई पिट्न लाई 

यौटा भन्दछ यो हो पाजी 

आर्को भन्दछ यो छ बिराजी 

भन्द छ तेस्रो आत्मा राम 

पढो पढो जी राखो नाम

गुडको बैरी मनुष जाति

सूश्क गराई गुणीका छाती

प्राण पखेरु नलिए सम्म 

खुश किन हुन्थ्यो हाय अचम्म 

पृथिबी तलमा एउटा सम्म 

मानिस बाँकि रहंदा सम्म

तुच्छ सुगाको जन्म नदेऊ

दीन दयालु बिन्ती लेऊ !   

Song Pinjada Ko Suga by the Nepali Musical Band 1974 A.D.