If I was a Tree
by Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy · translated by Rowena Hill
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- Main Idea: A powerful critique of the caste system where the speaker prefers being a tree over a human to escape social discrimination.
- Key Imagery: The bird nesting, the sun’s embrace, Mother Earth, the sacred cow, and the holy fire.
- Central Theme: Inhumanity of the caste system versus the inclusive and egalitarian nature of the physical world.
- Message: Nature does not discriminate; only human society creates artificial barriers like "untouchability."
- Ending: The speaker finds "purity" either in being burnt in a holy fire or supporting a "sinless" body, both of which are beyond caste.
Detailed Summary
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Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy’s poem "If I was a Tree" is a satirical and poignant commentary on the social evil of the caste system in India. The speaker, who likely belongs to a marginalized community, expresses a deep desire to be transformed into a tree. This transformation is not for aesthetic beauty, but to experience the basic dignity and equality that the human social order denies him.
Nature knows no caste
In the first section, the speaker argues that if he were a tree, a bird would not ask about his "caste" before building its nest. In nature, the relationship between creatures is based on need and harmony, not social hierarchy. He further notes that when the sunlight "embraces" him, his shadow would not feel "defiled." In human society, the shadow of an "untouchable" was once considered polluting; as a tree, the speaker would be free from this humiliation. His friendship with the cool breeze and the leaves would be "sweet" and uncomplicated by human prejudice.
The speaker then addresses the element of water. He states that raindrops would not "turn back" thinking he is a "dog-eater" (a derogatory term for lower castes). In nature, water is a life-giver for all, unlike in a caste-ridden society where access to water is often restricted. He extends this to the earth itself, saying that if his roots branched out, "Mother Earth" would not flee "shouting for a bath." This refers to the practice of upper castes bathing to purify themselves after physical contact with lower castes.
The sacred cow and purification
One of the most striking images in the poem is that of the "sacred cow." The speaker notes that a cow would scrape its body against his bark to scratch an itch. In doing so, the "three hundred thousand gods" believed to reside inside the cow would touch him. This highlights the irony that while humans avoid his touch, they worship animals whose touch would naturally bless the tree.
The poem concludes with the speaker’s thoughts on death and "purification." He envisions being "hacked into pieces of dry wood." If these pieces are burnt in a "holy fire," he might finally be "made pure", a status denied to him in life. Alternatively, he might become a "bier" (a frame for a corpse) for a "sinless body" and be carried on the shoulders of "four good men." In both scenarios, his physical form is used for a higher, noble purpose, transcending the labels of caste and untouchability. The poem successfully illustrates that nature is more humane than humanity.