My Bhim comes and meets me dear bai…!

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