A Poetic Focus On Chaotic Life

The term "Damphu" in Nepali music refers to a musical instrument and holds symbolic significance. While it literally denotes the sound created by the Damphu instrument, poet Om Prasad Koirala has imbued it with deeper meaning in his poetry collection, "Afnai Damphu." In this context, "Afnai Damphu" represents a metaphorical exploration, going beyond the literal musical notes. Why did the poet wish to dub his poetic creation to Dumphu Instrument"? Is it only a frustrating claim or theme to repeat, no matter whether somebody listens to it or not? Poet Koiralai’s artistic perception in this anthology is not meaningless. He articulates everything positively, evaluating his surroundings with a poetic perspective to craft delightful verses from his observations. Hence, he aspires to convey his thoughts using his unique Damphu melodies.

Poet Koirala is a retired teacher of Nepali, and his hobby of composing sweet poems in metre has been nurtured with his Sanskrit studies, which he completed at the Yagyabalkya Laxmi Narayan Campus at Matihani in Mahottari District. He kept writing poems and reading them on different occasions, and his talent was known among friends, colleagues, and his students, too. 

Scholar Binod Dahal Batsa fondly remembers the poet as a talented teacher and writes in his comment to this book that he had started writing poems in metres due to the inspiration of the poet of this under-reviewed collection. Let’s now come to the poems in this collection. This 159-page book contains 112 pieces of poetry. The poems within possess a delightful charm due to the poet's talent in crafting metrical compositions. They are concise, and each theme chosen by the poet requires thoughtful consideration of moral values. 

The poet communicates messages uniquely, and each message holds enduring value. Nepal is a central focus of the poet's expression. There are many examples of this kind in this collection. The poems entitled "Nepal", "Hami Sabai Milema" (If we all unite), "Swodeshmai Ramaun" (Let’s enjoy in the country), "Ma Dekhna Paun" (I want to see), and "Janma Bhumi" (Motherland Nepal) are some such poems. "Afnaio Damphu", which is the title piece of this collection, also carries the same value. So, let’s see what the poet says in this poem.

The poet warns all those who are indulging in self-praise (Damphu) and paying no care to build their morale, writing that this habit makes one addicted to playing Damphu for self-gain.

The Poet concludes his message in these four lines:

 Namrata Jasako Hunchha 

Banchha Hai Banchha Sadara

Aafu Thulo Hune Manchhe 

Aruko Garchha Sadar, Page: 79

A man who lacks good character and thinks he deserves respect from society only with the help of wealth can’t be ideal. So, with these four lines, the poet tells one to be humble, which in turn helps to promote a culture of mutual respect in society. But in the poet’s vision, the fall and rise of man’s character, too, have been described in a meaningful way. 

He says man often rises and falls, and it all happens without knowing. Is it not a mystery? In these four lines, the poet asks a question about man’s rise and fall.

Uthchha Manisha Jagera

Lamkandai Chha Jagera

Garchha Manisha Matera

Page 76 of Marchha Hai Kina Akhira

To be aware and to be proud without unduly forgetting the value of modesty are two contradictory situations that bring rise and fall in life. Through this poem, the poet highlights the value of knowledge in life, and he wants to emphasise it by composing verses in metre. Poet Om Prasad Koirala hails from Okhaldhunga, a nature-gifted hilly district in mid-Nepal. 

It seems natural beauty is something that influences the poet’s creativity. He has produced a beautiful description of nature, even when he has issues like poverty, social aberrations, exploitation, and political anomalies to deal with in these poems. 

Doubtlessly, this creative penchant shows that he is a nature-loving creator. Writing Nepali poetry in metre, which once was a pivotal norm for both aspirants and established poets, is no longer dominant. 

Yet the sweetness and recitation of beauty that it gives can hardly be found in the narrative form of composition. In this regard, the poet Koirala’s devotion to composing poems in metre and his publication of the Damphu collection are both matters of happiness for poetry-loving Nepali readers.

(Kafle is a former Deputy Executive Editor of this daily.)