My translation attempt of Marathi Drama एकच प्याला (Only one glass) written Ram Ganesh Gadkari)
Please suggest better option for words and phrases.
Act V
Episode II
(Place- Talirama's house. Characters- Taliram on the bed in the dying stage, Surrounding him Shastri, Khudabaksh, D'Souza, Dadisheth Daruwala, Manyabapu Mawal, Janubhau Jahal, Sonyabapu Sudharak, Yallappa etc. Members of Arya Madira Mandal.)
Sonyabapu: Shastribuva, last night was very difficult; In fact, Taliram would have become cold( died)! But today, he was lucky enough to drink more alcohol, that's why he survived!
Khudabaksh: It felt like a long night! It was never ending! As if there was bet between its continuation and life of Taliram!
Sonyabapu: It was long and horrible also to the same extend! We spent so many evenings but no one dared to meditate even for a moment.
Manyabapu: Really; Small time meditation would be permanent pranayama! Who would dare to fall asleep like dead( by excessive drinking) if they know that death agents coming? Everyone was scared that instead of Talirama, death agents may pick us by mistake!
Sonyabapu: Only the flame of the lamp was looking steadily to see, whether lamp of Talirama life extinguishes!
Virupaksha: It is natural. What kind of fear would she have of daily birth and death? Well, even if the flame of the lamp is slow, the struggle of Talirama might be continuing vigorously, won't it?
Manyabapu: Not at all! Today, the movement of unarmed resistance of Taliram's body against the Yamaraja seems to have come to have at end point wich was not so yesterday! All night long, Talirama limbs were doing legal movement to prevent arrest of their owner body ( death) so responsibaly that Deccan Sabha also should lay hands! Even the eyelids did not move to protect the rest of life. His sleep was always so intense, but last night it seemed as if a curfew had been imposed on it! Both cheeks have become introverted like a disgusted monk as no imaginary reason has been found to see why the talking tongue is given government custody. The nose was also cordoned off even for faithful breathing so that the five souls could not go out. All night long, he was lying in such a state that even the examiner from foreign country could not touch his chest and tell declare that Taliram had fallen unconscious because of death, because of sleep, because of alcohol.
Sonyabapu: Or due to a vaidya's medicine.
Manyabapu: Oh really, it's time to give medicine! Wake up now! Taliram, get up, are you taking medicine?
Taliram: Make me sit properly; I don't want medicine anymore. My death is near.
Janubhau: Taliram, do you give up such patience? Don't be afraid We will not let you die; Hey, bring that bottle of liquor next to him. If you have a bottle of liquor in front of his eyes, leave the fear of lhis dieing He will not die even if life is gone!
Manyabapu: Listen, Janubhau! Shastribuwa, look, he has made his eyes a little white!
Virupaksha: Oh, oh, oh! Hey, take some Ganga sacred water here! And also bring basil leaves! Taliram,
Taliram, come to consciousness. Should I to call vaidya or a doctor?
Taliram: No Ganga; No basil leaves, nothing! When I was dying, give me some drink,little alcohol! Instead of basil leaves, put a cork of bottle in myr mouth so that even if you get stuck, alcohol will not spill out from my mouth! Bring some!
Virupaksha: Ahaha, let's call him a real alcoholic! You will be a bigger drunkard in the next life! The God has told in Geeta , यं यं वाऽपि स्मरन् मावं त्यजत्यंते कलेवरं। तं तमेवैति कौंतेय सदा तद्भावभावित:॥
that they should remember it and leave it at that.
(He gets drunk.)
Taliram: Give me some more so I can get a little more tired! I want to tell you my last wish! Give more!
Manyabapu: You don't deserve more alcohol right now!
Janubhau: Give him a drink; Don't say no this time! (He gets drunk.)
Taliram: Alas, I can't even drink alcohol properly! Shastribuva, Khudabaksh, I am dying now. Remember what I said. First tell that Bhagiratha, that Taliram died while drinking; Did not get trapped in love until the end of life. Tell him
Virupaksha: Let's tell him with stress.
Taliram: When I die, start liquor bar in my house! Name it 'Taliram Free Liquor'. Get permission by doing efforts to keep it open all night so that no needy will be in difficulty!. Give free liquor to those who come and go in this bar, to the poor, to the Gobrahmanas! Sell alcohol to students at half price! My true faith lies in the young generation! Give the empty bottles and glasses of my house to a family-friendly alcoholic! On the day of my anniversary, give plenty of drink to a deserving Brahmin! Leave a raft of bottle corks in my name in the river instead of donating cows so that I can sit on it and go down to Vaitarna river and go to heaven! Friends Will you fulfill my wish? If not, I will be a ghost with my hope involved; I will not be saved!
Manyabapu: We will do our best to fulfill your wish! Do not worry
Janubhau: Even though you have become a ghost, we will keep your ghost in a bottle of whiskey! Have you any other wish?
Taliram: Nothing more; Don't give up alcohol by listening to somebody! The vow not to drink alcohol does not last long; Be proud of our Aryamadiramandal - no matter what happens, don't drown the organization! I am feeling pain! Shastribuwa, give me some more alcohol! And all of you take the last with me! My Health- Drink Lots! (They give him wine and everyone fills big glasses.) Will I get wine in heaven?
Sonyabapu: Taliram, to your health! (All drinks)
Taliram: A little alcohol! One more cup! (Dies.)
Sonyabapu: Alas, its over! It's half past eight in the living bar!
Shastri: Gone, the real hero of alcohol is gone!
Khudabaksh: The true Arya base of the unfortunate Aryamadiramandala has been broken!
Janubhau: Alcohol, alcohol, your madness has subsided! Your success remained here only! Death look has came on the red light of your loss of supporter! Your stumbling has stopped here forever! Your blabbering is no more!
Shastri: The real Mahatma Drunker left us today! There will not be such a drunkard again!
Khudabaksh: It is true! We all drink, but the story of Talirama is different! He never saw the day, never saw the night while drinking!
Shastri: Twelve years have passed, it never happened that Taliram's mouth did not give dirty smell from a distance! Such a strict routine followed for 12 years without break!
Khudabaksh: He is a real sage! We should bow to a person who acts like he talks! Twelve years of stumbling talking, and stumbling walking!
Janubhau: What a sacrifice! Left wife for alcohol; Then what about the other relatives!
Shastri: He made the drunker his relative! This Manyabapu is a bit of a gentleman, so he requires always to be urged by his neighbors, just like Maganbhai, a bit of a coward, but he too-
Magan: (crying freely) Taliram, now who will give me alcohol at my request? Who would advise mixing to get drunk with less spendingl?
Janubhau: Shastribuva, how can this Mahatma be glorified by crying like this? For this, a public meeting must be held in the open field.
Manyabapu: No need for irresponsible big public meeting at all! Let's convene a meeting here in a legislative manner and decide what to do. Let's form a small executive board.
Shastri: What you are saying is correct. You be the secretary of the executive board.
Manyabapu: Well, then choose the president first! Who is the president?
Khudabaksh: How we can decide? Everyone seems to have the same qualifications.
Janubhau: Then cast lots!
Yallappa: Wait! My suggestion is that I shall become the president, we should all approve of this suggestion! Because the chairman has to sit still until the end of the meeting, and I have got so much drunk so much, that in a short time I will be very confused! Then I will lie down as corpse like the chairperson till the meeting is over!
Khudabaksh: Then the corpse of Talirama is more suitable than you.
Janubhau: That's right! Moreover,now a days there is trend of keeping the portraits of great men as President to carry ourt work smoothly. From that point of view, a corpse is always more worthy than a picture! The decision is that Talirama's corpse should be placed in the chair!
Khudabaksh: After the election of the President, I now l bring the first resolution before the meeting that we should first drink all the liquor in the house and then start to work. Resolution passed! I strongly urge the enthusiastic secretary of the executive board to fill the cups for all.
Shastri: I bring forward a secondary resolution.As the sense of everyone is going up, from now on everyone should sit down and speak, My legs are shaking - pass the resolution quickly!
Magan: (Recovering himself) I support this resolution. . Resolution passed!
Janubhau: Due to the death of Taliram, the board has a view that all liquor shops in the city should be requested to be closed for the day.
Shastri, Khudabaksh etc.: Shame! Damn it! No, no!
Manyabapu: Hon'ble Member Janubhau's resolution is not acceptable to most of the members. Mr. Virupakshastri, Rajshree Khudabaksh, Mr. Maganbhai, and Mr. I strongly regret this resolution. The meeting should look at the policy of the deceased Mahatma. Talirama did not like closed liquor store; Therefore, instead of keeping the shop closed all day, the meeting should strive to keep the shop open all night. Resolution passed!
Shastri: The journey of this corpse should be with band!
Magan: Talirama's policy was not to spend extravagantly except alcohol; So this meeting does not want to spend on instruments! My sub-instruction is to play the drum of his stomach with the sticks of his limbs. Sub-notification passed! I insist on bringing some Gujarati women to mourn the death of the deceased.
Janubhau: Shame! Talirama also hated the names of ladies; So instead of crying, I recommend that Manyabapu should bring some conservative friends instead of ladies.
Manyabapu: This meeting is protesting against this resolution. I ask, aloud, that at the time of the funeral, a certain sound has to be made. Is the Janubhaus ready to bring their radicls for this? Let me be clear, for the conservatives, if the Pitrapakka crying is fortnightly, then for the radicals, there would be a vigorous mouthful sound of Falgunmas!
Khudabaksh: Friends, do not quarrel in the meeting by arguing like this! Is this a meeting of scholars from both the parties of the country, so you should create such commotion? I emphasize - no one should laugh at the ugly joke - I say so - I emphasize that this is a meeting of us drunkards. Growing for three days in a year like patriotism is not here; But it is an alcoholic that is digested three times a day. Are you patriotic Are you a scholar No! So what right do you have to come up break the meeting by fighting within yourselves? Why you should fire each other? Keep the work going.
Shastri: I propose that Taliram's body should be burnt with straw bags coming around the whiskey bottles!
Khudabaksh: From the point of view of Arya Dharma, it is a fire. This is a non-religious resolution. I object to this resolution on behalf of Taliram.
Manyabapu: Both are missing Drinking liquor was the only religion of Talirama. From the point of view of religion, I bring a resolution that Taliram should be burnt in a distillery! Pass!
Janubhau: I bring a resolution that we are all just donkeys! You started burning before you could decide how to take the corpse out! At the time of the procession, I suggest that you leave the horses of the cart, pull the cart and pay homage to Taliram.
Magan: My objection to this resolution is that if we leave the horses and pull the donkey cart, it is insulting!
Manyabapu: Now I am putting for a very important resolution. Some memorial of Taliram should be errected; For this, the meeting should decide to set up 'Taliram Memorial Fund Committee' and raise funds through it! Subscription numbers should be huge! And that should be the meeting. The amount numbers also should be big! At least every person should enter the number in thousands.
Shastri: You have told correct! Your fund should have a start from rich Maganbhai! There is no reason for Shetji to make a bad face! Do not be afraid that these numbers will be recovered! Who remembers which memorial assembly has errected memorials by collecting figures till date? That's when the first bounce is to drop these figures for show! Afterwards, everyone forgets the monument along with those numbers!
Magan: I don't want to get involved in writing; Therefore, I strongly ....
Khudabaksh: Yes, Maganbhai-
Magan: I strongly support this resolution.
Khudabaksh: Ha-ha-
Magan: I am not doing anything open out loud for this resolution!
Shastri: Now my last decision is to get the body out. Get up everyone, let's take the corpse out first! (Everyone gets up and stretches Yallappa's limbs in the confusion.)
Yallappa: This meeting is asking loudly about who is pulling me.
Shastri: The majority is of the firm opinion that the dead man does not think of anything.
Yallappa: I am unanimously proposing that I am not dead.
Khudabaksh: Then who is dead? It's certain that someone has died!
Manyabapu: Riot started again! Wait, Khudabaksh, Shastribuwa, call up the extra meeting and decide who is dead!
Khudabaksh: Okay! The meeting is suggesting that the dead should raise its hands. (Pausing for a while) The meeting is asserting that no one is dead as no one has raised his hand! The meeting is sure that Taliram is not dead either!
Shastri: The meeting is very happy about this. In the midst of this joy, this meeting is deciding to send a congratulatory telegram to the dead soul of Taliram, saying that Taliram is not dead at all.
Sonyabapu: Oops! The whole ceremony of empty meeting is over!
Khudabaksh: No. Don't let this hassle go for free. Until the time comes to use this push, that is, until someone dies, I will bring forward a resolution that everyone should stay here as a matter of course. Pass the resolution!
(All fall awkwardly. The curtain falls.)
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