TRANSLATION OF LOCUST

 Hiii, I am Bhoomi. This translation is part of our academic assignment. We're we assist to traslatale one act play lotus by satish vyas. Here is translation.

       

    

                      Title: locust

                  Author: Satish Vyas

     Characters:

                         Farmer

                         Wife

                        Group-1

                        Group-2

                        Voice

                        Gigo

                        Actor-1

                        Actor-2

                        Actress-1

                        Actress-2

                        Director

                       News reporter  

                       Prime Minister

                       The visitor

(The farmer is seen standing up and pulling the sling with a mime, just as his wife arrives with the rice.)

Farmer: I was keeping an eye on you. When I see the red glow rising on the horizon, my hunger awakens. Tell me, shall I bring it today?

Wife: Today, I made buttered rotlo (flatbread) and prepared radish greens. It’s your favorite.

Farmer: Wow, oh wow! My day just got made... here, take this. (He opens the bundle. Before eating, the farmer places the first bite near the woman’s mouth.

 

Wife: Now, feel shy, just a little. You’re the father of six children!

Farmer: Because of this, your master has decreased, so your value has also diminished. Take this and open your mouth, only then will I begin to eat.

Wife: Now start eating properly.

Farmer: No, this is the farmer's determination. If you take it, say yes. Don't refuse.

Wife: Oh ho ho, you’re too much! Here, take it. Don’t feel shy. (After eating, she also offers the same bite to the farmer. Then both eat together.)

Wife: This year's harvest season, nature has been kind to India.

Farmer: Yes, indeed. This harvest, we must also pay off the moneylender's interest.

Wife: And on top of that, at home, there’s whole-grain millet porridge as well, separately.

Farmer: Yes, the last three years have been really tough. We even had to stretch a lot for Nanki's wedding. But this year, things are finally on track, and we will get through smoothly.

Wife: Yes, and now let’s arrange Gigi’s wedding too. I can’t handle all this back-and-forth for you much longer.

Farmer: yes, yes. And her jewellery…

Wife: Everything will happen according to fate. You don't need to worry so much. Everything will turn out fine. Here, I've even brought buttermilk today.

Farmer: Ah, yes! Wow! The buttermilk is really delicious. 

(Both drink. A group of young men and women pass by the field singing.)

Group: The guardian of the field is upset,

The harvest is upset, o merciful one.

The brother's bride will come this season,

The sister will leave for panchal.

Then, she will reign in her in-laws' house,

And lamps of the womb will shine bright…

Wife: “It's like the whole village has gone crazy. Isn't it? Everyone in chaos! It's as if indra himself has turned over all the markets!” 

Farmer: “yes, during the monsoon, it feels like no one is even fighting or arguing. I can't even remember the last time I got angry with you! And I don't recall you ever being upset with me during the monsoon season either.”

Wife: "It’s like the whole village has gone crazy and is in an uproar! This has been a good year for everyone. It feels like everyone has prospered, as if Lord Indra himself has blessed them."

Farmer: Even though I don't enjoy holding this net in my hand at this moment, I still feed these birds. Didn't the little master (Nanak Sahib) say this?

Ram's bird,

Ram's field,

       Eat, little bird, and fill your stomach.

Wife: "Alright then, as you wish. I’m just here anyway."

(Slowly, the evening’s shadows begin to descend. From afar, the sounds of the countryside can be heard. Somewhere, a devotional song echoes. Elsewhere, the clattering of a cart in motion is heard. The farmer climbs down from the elevated platform and strolls along the boundaries of his field. After wandering, he returns to the platform, removes the scarf from his head, fetches water from his pot, washes his face, and relaxes peacefully. Slowly, the night deepens. Suddenly, the sounds of drums, cymbals, and loud commotion start to echo. The sound gradually grows louder, accompanied by a group singing a song in chorus.)

Group-1: In Simrakha, the Dhragad drums were played,

Plates and trays clanged loudly,

A commotion arose, the radio cried out,

Awakened, they came as spies,

Spies came, spies arrived.

Run, run, flee, flee!

Group-2: No, no, no, no, no, not spies,

These seem like strange signs,

No masks, no beards,

No guns or barrels in hand,

This is something different, a mystery,

Surely, something unusual has occurred,

Torches are seen burning at the border.

Group-1: Someone came out holding torches,

Someone with a dagger, someone with a spear,

Someone holding a stick in hand,

Someone wielding a sharp sword.

(The farmer first lights the lantern and raises it high. From a nearby field, someone shouts loudly as if asking a question.)

Voice: Hey Vihabhai, what happened over there?

Farmer: I have no idea, but there’s chaos everywhere. Drums and clamors are sounding, and it feels like an uproar.

Voice: "Something feels off."

Farmer: And it seems like the entire village is heading toward the border.

Voice: Look at the border fields in this confusion, the torches have started burning there too.

Farmer: "Yes, yes, let me move this bridge." (He lights the bridge.)

Group-1: Here they come, the swarms of locusts,

Dark clouds, the swarms of locusts,

Buzzing, hissing,

The fierce, dark swarms of locusts.

Group-2: If locusts come, if locusts come, There will be destruction, oh destruction. The wings have broken, the dark god has come, There will be destruction, oh destruction.

(The farmer's wife also, half-dazed, reached the field. She too lit a fire.)

Wife: Am I about to become Giga's father-in-law? I had just managed to catch my breath, thinking this year would go by smoothly, and now these troubles—who knows where they’ve come from? Such is the hardship of fate!

Farmer: Hush, now everything will be fine, and ours will be fine. After working hard, we will do everything. Right now, you go and help with the work. Isn't this too much of a burden?

Wife: The sky tore open, and a single stick became a bridge.

Farmer: Together, we’ll get there. Just have a little patience.

(The arrival of Giga.)

Wife: Oh Giga? What news have you brought?

Giga: Mother, these locusts have completely ravaged the neighboring village; the word is that not a single grain has been spared.

Wife: Oh no, oh dear, Mother. What is happening?

Giga: Don't burn your heart like this, Mother. What is destined to happen will happen. How much has man ever stood against fate? So, stay calm.

Wife: What patience should I have now? Let this wretched fate burst and die!

Farmer: Don't speak ill of fate like that, Raghi! It has all the accounts balanced.

Giga: Oh father, are you still under the illusion that these are locusts? This is the first time I've seen them!

Farmer: Every eight to ten years, its grip tightens again. After a few years, fate will turn, and one day, it will show its consequences.

Group-1: Some say it is Central Asia,

Some say it is Africa;

Some say it is from Nicobar,

Some say it is from America.

Group 2: Some say it’s not of any lineage.

There is no root to it;

Taking the form of a whirlwind,

It spreads dust everywhere.

Group-1: He dislikes this world,

He does not care for happiness;

The communication of the common people,

Is a sorrow without a name.

Group 2: Here comes the swarm of locusts,

The swarm of locusts breaking the fields,

Black clouds, dark time,

The dreadful black, the swarm of locusts.

Group-1: He ate the field, left the land barren,

The garden was spoiled, and the boundary broken,

He twisted the rope and made it dry,

And ruined many lives in the process.

(From every direction, cries of mourning, relentless sobs, shouting, and the sound of wailing.)

Actor 1: Now, if you look here, the play is over.

Actress 2: So soon? Can a play end this quickly? This has barely been fifteen minutes!

Actor 1: The writer has only written this much.

Actress 1: There must be more to be sent later.

Actor 2: The play is just this much. The author had met me. He used to say that my play is complete.

Actress 1: Then that's what's happening; nothing will make sense in this.

Actor 1: And anyway, would there even be a play about locusts in this day and age?

Actress 2: What will the people of our city understand from this nonsense?

Actress 1: People will say, where did this folk literature come from?

Actor 1: Is this a play or a folk performance?

Actress 1: And there should be some purpose or moral, right?"

Actress 2: What are you saying? If we give a moral, won't the critics tear it apart?

Actor 1: Yes, sure, they will say that the play wasn’t artistic.

Actor 2: It became outspoken.

Actress 1: But hey? You tell me: Is there any purpose in this?

Actor 2: Come on, talk sense. Didn’t Sita’s abduction happen? We’ve been rehearsing for so many days, and you still don’t understand anything?

Actress 1: No, I don’t understand anything at all. It seems so simple and plain, but you’ve understood it, haven’t you?

Actor 2: A little bit.

Actress 1: (fidgeting) To be honest, I feel the same as you. I don’t understand anything either.

Actress 2: In reality, what is there to understand in a play?

Actress 1: Why? Shouldn't I explain the play?

Actress 2: If it gets understood, then what's the point of the play? I mean, what's the point of the art?

Actor 2: Yes, that's correct!

Actress 1: But should I perform the role without understanding it? I wouldn't enjoy it that way. The involvement just doesn’t come. It's like I'm not even in the role.

Actress 2: Don't make it sound like I don't understand the essence.

Actress 1: Now be quiet, you fool. Keep in mind the audience.

Actor 1: The audience is interested in such things.

Actor 2: Don’t even mention understanding. A few bold topics, some witty remarks, a few off-color jokes, a little teasing, and double entendre dialogues.

Actress 2: That's our play.

Actress 1: But that isn't even in this play.

Actor 1: Yes, that's true. This won't work at all.

Actor 2: Let's do this, let's call the previous director.

Actress 2: How would he even know about stitching?

Actress 1: You are really talking nonsense! I’m saying that the audience...

Actress 2: As for the audience, they don’t care. The more we insult them, the closer they get to us. It works for us.

Actor 1: Oh no, but now the entire theme is changing!

Actress 1: In any case, we will bore the audience.

Actor 2: Call the previous director!

Actress 1 / Actress 2 / Actor 1: Yes, yes, call him.

(Actor 1 goes inside and brings the director out.)

Director: Tell me, what do you need, kids?

Actor 1: Is this play supposed to end here?

 director: Yes, that’s the idea.

Actress 1: But if we do that, nothing makes sense.

Director: Why? What is it that doesn’t make sense?

Actor 2: We can’t make any sense of this chaos.

Director: Understand that this chaos is a symbol.

Actress 1: But who will understand that?

Actress 2: A symbol should be a bit clearer, right?

Actor 1: If it's clear, then how is it a symbol?

Actress 2: Clear means like the women of old Maharashtra...

Actor 2: Neither exposed nor covered.

Actor 1: This is like the women of Gujarat – completely covered.

Actress 1: And the old critics will say that the theme is outdated. The symbol doesn’t become completely clear. It doesn’t evoke the intended feeling.

Director: So, what will we do?

Actor 2: Do one thing, change the symbol or add something extra. Like bring in the plague germs or pneumonia.

Actress 2: Yes, yes, is it relevant now? Will those interested in contemporary social issues like it too?

Actor 1: Or else, do this; bring in something about a virus.

Actress 1: Can something lively or dramatic come out of this? People should get a lesson, and we’ll have a play within a play!

Actress 2: So just say, a beard’s beard and a necklace’s necklace.

Actor 1: But if we do this, won't the subject shift?

Actress 2: Whether a woman is at home or outside, her role remains the same. Only the context changes!

Actress 1: What a bold statement! Be mindful of the audience.

Actress 2: Is performing a play the same as breaking a pot in a corner?

Actor 2: Going to get buttermilk and hiding the clay pot, doesn't work, right?

Actor 1: Going to the doctor’s house and hiding your thigh, doesn’t work.

Actress 2: On the wedding night, a Gujarati woman cannot remain passive.

Director: Enough, enough, now think ahead. What should we do with the play?

Actor 1: First, let's bring in the one with the play.

Director: Yes, we should bring him. (Group-1) Now, let's start with you.

Group-1: This village of Hurat

The golden-haired, the idolized village

A fresh, fresh story has been made

The twelve-year-old boy spoke,

"That one, the old one says,

The mountain was dug, and the rat was pulled out,

See, see, the boy's tale;

The twelve-year-old boy spoke,

The dam will break,

The village will collapse,

Run, brother, run,

Flee, brother, flee!"

Newsreader: And chaos can spread throughout the city. People have started gathering at the station and bus stand. Some have even rented special vehicles for five thousand each. People have started relocating haphazardly. A notice has been issued from the minister's side that...

(Minister's voice:) Therefore, the public is requested that there has been no breach in the dam on the river. This is only a rumor. Everyone is urged not to leave their place or home.

Group 1: The village won't listen,

Nor will the people of the village,

All have deaf ears,

In their eyes, there is only emptiness.

Director: But stand still, this is not at all fitting. It strays far from our original concept.

Actor 2: That's good, something different should happen. Critics will say that the director has beautifully applied the Bertolt style here. Clearly and yet, without becoming over-the-top, the playwright has presented their ideas. So, let it happen.

Director: No, no, but this is completely without any sense or structure...

Actor 1: But I say, bring the old play as I suggested, or maybe the virus one.

Group member: What if we create the design of a TV frame?

Actress 2: Yes, a new experiment might work. (The group members create a TV frame with their bodies. The newsreader reads from the center of the frame.)

Newsreader: According to the latest news we have received, ten people have died in Surat due to the plague.

(Scene description: Someone is catching a rat. Someone is spraying medicine. Some are running at the bus stand and railway station.)

Actor 1: Do those who are causing this chaos step outside the frame?

Actor 2: The real fun is always within the frame. That’s the truth!

Actress 2: Yes, everything inside the frame is just politics.

Actress 1: Didn’t understand.

Director: Let me explain, look at a scene within the frame.

Prime Minister (to the visitors): Our scientists and doctors, along with the researchers, have informed us that the epidemic spreading in the city may not be the plague. There is no need to worry. The government is taking proper and immediate measures.

Visitor: But in my area, there is chaos. What about that? How many rats are found dead?

Prime Minister: Those rats were swept here through the floods in Surat, coming via Maharashtra. They are emerging from piles of garbage. They didn’t die because of the plague.

(Outside the frame, there are people with bandages, some in a hospital or at home, distressed, with the death of one of them causing turmoil in some household, and somewhere chaos is unfolding.

Actor 1: Can’t we bring in some chaos in all this rush?

Director: No, no. What’s the connection between the plague and chaos?

Actor 2: Why not? Otherwise, what’s the connection between the grasshopper and the plague? And what about chaos, what’s its connection? It can happen anytime, for any reason, or even without any reason or connection at all.

Director: But after the play, this will all fall apart.

Actor 1: That's the fun of it. If it doesn't fall apart, what's the point of the game? If it doesn't bend, what's the point of the play?

Actress 2: Yes, yes. The playing field is always crooked!

Actor 2: Oh ho ho! You really went overboard, you are completely…

Actress 2: Say it, I’m nagging! A play isn’t just about being naked; there’s no room for nonsense in that. Here, whatever it is, it should be said and shown; the Municipality takes care of the rest. In theatre, everyone is equal.

Actress 1: Then bring in the temple and mosque!

Director: No, I don’t want to shut down the play!

Actress 1: What’s there to shut down in this?

Director: Has the government seen it? What kind of censor sword does it have? Should we just cut it out?

Actor 2: But we should try it in the rehearsal, right? If it doesn’t work, I’ll remove it.

In the frame, the Minister says: There have been no communal riots anywhere in the city. It was just an incident due to personal enmity involving a stabbing. Citizens are advised not to listen to rumors and to continue with their regular business as usual.

(Scenes of chaos outside the frame, including fights, stone-throwing, violence, private and police gunfire.)

Group 1: It seems calm for a while.

But when the opportunity arises, it breaks loose.

Facing each other, side by side,

They make noise and create chaos!

Actress 2: Look, it seems like everything has fallen into place. How beautifully the symbol of the grasshopper swarm has been woven together!

Clown 2: That’s the fun of improvisation! When no one else understands, the clown gets it. The actor brings out meanings the writer never intended. The director misses, but the clown shows what was unseen. Nothing is predetermined, nothing is rehearsed, nothing is complete!

Group 2: Some say it's bacterial,

Some say it's viral,

Some say it's pneumonia,

Some say it's neurotic.

Group 1: The twelve-year-old boy speaks,

Turning back to the old words;

The temple will break, the minaret will fall,

Inside, people will fight.

The lock will break, the village will crumble,

The locusts will come, the plague will spread.

Group 2: Shitala, black fever, jaundice,

Malaria or flu will spread,

The soil will be crushed, the throat will dry,

There will be such a pain in the feet.

Group 1: In the old wound, with a new twist,

How will the deep, twisted pain heal?

As blood spills from the wound in India,

Who will sprinkle salt on it?

Group 2: Is it bacterial? Or is it viral?

What a strange and amazing cycle this is!

Group 1: Srrrrrrrr, my bicycle runs,

The bell rings, and the loan clinks,

Srrrrrrrr, my bicycle runs,

The bicycle runs, the bicycle runs...

(All the actors are performing miming as if they are riding a bicycle, busy with the actions and maintaining stability.)

Editing by 

karmatiya Bhoomi

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