Goodbye Party For Miss Pushpa T.S. by Nissim Ezekiel

Goodbye Party For Miss Pushpa T.S.

by Nissim Ezekiel

Friends,
our dear sister
is departing for foreign
in two three days,
and
we are meeting today
to wish her bon voyage.

You are all knowing, friends,
What sweetness is in Miss Pushpa.
I don't mean only external sweetness
but internal sweetness.
Miss Pushpa is smiling and smiling
even for no reason but simply because
she is feeling.

Miss Pushpa is coming
from very high family.
Her father was renowned advocate
in Bulsar or Surat,
I am not remembering now which place.

Surat? Ah, yes,
once only I stayed in Surat
with family members
of my uncle's very old friend-
his wife was cooking nicely…
that was long time ago.

Coming back to Miss Pushpa
she is most popular lady
with men also and ladies also.

Whenever I asked her to do anything,
she was saying, 'Just now only
I will do it.' That is showing
good spirit. I am always
appreciating the good spirit.

Pushpa Miss is never saying no.
Whatever I or anybody is asking
she is always saying yes,
and today she is going
to improve her prospect
and we are wishing her bon voyage.
Now I ask other speakers to speak
and afterwards Miss Pushpa
will do summing up. 

Word Notes

1.2: dear sister: addressing a chief guest or speaker as “dear” or ‘beloved’ sister, brother, professor etc., is very common in India.

1.3: departing for foreign Note the Indian use of ‘foreign’ as noun and departing in the sense of going or leaving.

1.4: two thru days: translation of a parallel vernacular expression.

1.6: we are meeting today: This is one of the many instances of the use of the progressive for the simple present in the poem. The Indian predilection for the use of the progressive tense is well-known. Pick out all the other expressions of this kind in the poem.

1.10-11: Note the way in which the speaker chooses to convey that Pushpa is not only a woman of pleasant exterior but also of many sweet qualities of head and heart

1.12- 13: All that is meant is that Pushpa always puts on a smiling face which shows that she is emotional by nature.

1.15- 19: Though these words are meant to be complimentary, they can be hurting too to Miss Pushpa, for the speaker’s words sound empty as he is not quite sure of her actual parental background and makes vague references. Note the absence of the indefinite article in “very high family” and in “re­nowned advocate”.

1.20: Surat? Ah yes: obviously someone has reminded the speaker that it is Surat.

1. 22: family members: ‘family members’, ‘family friend’ ‘family matter’ etc., are common Indianisms.

11. 22-25: In India one does not hesitate to thrust oneself as a guest on anyone, however distant a relative of oneself or one’s friend’s friend!

1.24-25: Look at the ambiguity and the irony resulting from the expression ‘that was long time ago’.

1.27- 28: Popular lady with men also, and ladies also: an unusual collocation, for ‘men and ladies’ do not collocate well.

1. 30: Just now only I will do it: a typical Indian-English expres­sion. Note the numerous uses of the progressive tense in the lines that follow.

1. 34: Pushpa Miss: This reversal of the word order is typical of the Indian speech habit. This is how most students in India refer to their lady teachers

1. 40-42: The lines mean that Miss Pushpa will reply to the felicitations offered to her.