This is a translation of the Marathi song by Lokshahir Sambhaji Bhagat by Vernon Gonsalves.
—
My Bhim comes and meets me dear bai…
He tells me something, he tells me something
My Bhim comes and meets me dear bai…
He tells me something, he tells me something
On the bund of the fields he stands
For the hand of the toiler he stands
For those long nights of hunger he stands
Through the tears of the silent calf bai
Bhim keeps watching bai, Bhim keeps watching bai
At the door of each school he stands
In the ink of a nib’s scrawl he stands
In every line of each book he stands
In the wicks of each lamp he stands
In the light of each wick he stands dear…
Holding finger of the child in hand
He takes her to school, he takes her to school
He says fight for knowledge dear bai
He takes her to school, he takes her to school
He says gain knowledge to fight dear bai
He takes her to school, he takes her to school
Outside the filled tank he stands
Watching gushing channels he stands
Suppressing his thirst he stands
Saying it’s Nature’s gift he stands
Fire burning in his eyes he stands
His whole being burns and erupts dear
Sobs spilling on ground, sobs spilling on ground
Water barred by Brahmindom
Why not bury it down, why not bury it down
Outside the office he stands
Outside the factory he stands
Searching for work he stands
Braving sun and the rain he stands
In burning hunger he stands
Searching scraps and crumbs he stands…
Who has stolen your job dear bai
He keeps asking me on, he keeps asking me on
Owner-lords ride on your chests
Why not bury them down, why not bury them down
Land is called Mother dear bai
We search for Mother by the riverside
But no foothold of land is in sight
They say that Ram was exiled bai
Ram was exiled for fourteen years bai
Our exile goes on for life bai dear
Our exile goes on for life bai
But does anyone even care a pai
Bhim thunders aloud and says bai
Begging won’t get a single mite
The tiller will inherit the soil
Begging won’t get a single mite
Bhim is locked within statues oh bai
Bhim is dimmed in bhajans oh bai
His foes have confined him dear
This Bhim of mine cries aloud again again
Tearful top, fettered soles
Rippling tears pour down oh bai
Every organ going wild oh bai
Bhim is being marketed dear bai
He’s now become an ad dear bai
All the butchers have gathered dear bai dear…
Sharpened knives are pulled out bai
Jets of blood all around oh bai
Dark clouds gathering round dear bai
Bhim Raja dear do not cry, Baba dear do not cry Raja
Bhim has been portioned out dear bai
Some sell him for votes dear bai
Some sell him for themselves dear bai
Some sell him for a post dear bai
Some sell him for a chair dear bai
Bhim Raja ohh… Bhim Baba
Bhim come out of the statues Baba
Bhim come out of the bhajans Baba
Bhim leave the market and come Baba
Come with new weapons Baba
Come with new ideas Baba
Strike a blow for liberation Baba
Bhim is coming, Bhim is coming
Bhim is coming, is coming bai
Waiting for him bai…
You can immerse yourself in a live performance of the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJKjhG-xy6Y
Vernon Gonsalves is a trade unionist, activist and academic.
