Laugh Laugh Laugh Instantly

Laugh – you are being watched,

Laugh, but not at yourself because its bitterness
Would be noticed and you would not survive it
Laugh in a way that your happiness does not show
As it would be suspected that you do not participate in the remorse
And you would not survive it

While laughing, don’t let anyone know who you are laughing at
Let them all believe that like them you laugh
A defeated laugh of intimacy
Just as they laugh instead of speaking

As long as that mighty round dome reverberates you can
Speak to yourself
When the echo is about to fade, laugh again
Because if found quiet, you shall be indicted for resistance
If you laugh at the end then all will laugh and you can be safe

Laugh but be careful of the jokes
Jokes have words
And words may have meanings ascribed by some person a century ago

It is better to laugh while talking
So that the talk loses all significance
And laugh on those compulsory moments
Like the assault on the destitute by the privileged
When no one can do a thing
Except for that destitute
And even he often laughs

Laugh laugh laugh instantly
Laugh before they leave
While shaking their hands
With pleading eyes
Laugh and remind them
That you had laughed yesterday

Translated from Hindi by Tarun Bhartiya