Tuesday, November 6, 2018

ভালোবাসার দিন, সৈয়দ শামসুল হক / In the Time of Love, Syed Shamsul Haque



ভালোবাসার দিন


রাতের অন্ধকার এখন আমার ছবি আঁকার ক্যানভাস ।

তোমার চোখের আলো আমার রঙ ।
একদিন তোমাকে যে ছুঁয়েছি সেই আঙুল আমার তুলি এখন ।
আমি তোমার ঘুমের ছবি আঁকছি ।
তুমি নিলীন হয়ে শুয়ে আছো এখন আমার ছবির ভেতরে।
এই ঘুম থেকে তোমাকে আমি জাগবো না ।

অস্থির পৃথিবী থেকে তুলে এনে ভালবাসার দু’হাতে
তোমাকে এখন আমার স্থিরতার পটে স্থাপন করে চলেছি ।
পৃথিবীর সব রূপসীরা আমার পাশে দাড়িয়ে দেখছে তোমাকে,
আমি তাদের ঈর্ষা দিচ্ছি কেননা তারা স্থিরতা পায় নি ।
আমি একটু পরেই শুয়ে পড়বো তোমার পাশে –
তারপর একটু করে প্রান্তর ভরে উঠবে ঘাষে ।

কালের গ্রহণ লাগা চাঁদ তখন বেরিয়ে এসে
আমাদের দু’জনেরই ছবি আঁকবে- যে দেখবে সে দেখবে ।



 সৈয়দ শামসুল হক



In the Time of Love

"The darkness of night is a canvas to me
And the light in your eyes my paint
The fingers that once touched you are now my brush
And I paint you as you sleep
You sleep inside my frame
I will not wake you from this sleep.


With loving hands I have taken you from an uncertain world
To place you in the midst of my calm
All the beautiful women of the world watch you from my side
Jealous that I did not give them the same.
I will lie by your side very soon
And all the fields will green with grass.


And the eclipsed dark moon reappear
To colour us both - that anyone may come and see."






In the Time of Love, Syed Shamsul Haque
(Translation, mine)

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

স্নান/ Bathing by জয় গোস্বামী/Joy Goswami




***
স্নান
সংকোচে জানাই আজ: একবার মুগ্ধ হতে চাই।
তাকিয়েছি দূর থেকে। এতদিন প্রকাশ্যে বলিনি।
এতদিন সাহস ছিল না কোনো ঝর্ণাজলে লুণ্ঠিত হবার -
আজ দেখি অবগাহনের কাল পেরিয়ে চলেছি দিনে দিনে …
জানি, পুরুষের কাছে দস্যুতাই প্রত্যাশা করেছো।
তোমাকে ফুলের দেশে নিয়ে যাবে ব’লে যে-প্রেমিক
ফেলে রেখে গেছে পথে, জানি, তার মিথ্যে বাগদান
হাড়ের মালার মতো এখনো জড়িয়ে রাখো চুলে।
আজ যদি বলি, সেই মালার কঙ্কালগ্রন্থি আমি
ছিন্ন করবার জন্য অধিকার চাইতে এসেছি? যদি বলি
আমি সে-পুরুষ, দ্যাখো, যার জন্য তুমি এতকাল
অক্ষত রেখেছো ওই রোমাঞ্চিত যমুনা তোমার?
শোনো, আমি রাত্রিচর। আমি এই সভ্যতার কাছে
এখনো গোপন ক’রে রেখেছি আমার দগ্ধ ডানা;
সমস্ত যৌবন ধ’রে ব্যধিঘোর কাটেনি আমার। আমি একা
দেখেছি ফুলের জন্ম মৃতের শয্যার পাশে বসে,
জন্মান্ধ মেয়েকে আমি জ্যোৼস্নার ধারণা দেব ব’লে
এখনো রাত্রির এই মরুভুমি জাগিয়ে রেখেছি।
দ্যাখো, সেই মরুরাত্রি চোখ থেকে চোখে আজ পাঠালো সংকেত -
যদি বুঝে থাকো তবে একবার মুগ্ধ করো বধির কবিকে;
সে যদি সংকোচ করে, তবে লোকসমক্ষে দাঁড়িয়ে
তাকে অন্ধ করো, তার দগ্ধ চোখে ঢেলে দাও অসমাপ্ত চুম্বন তোমার…
পৃথিবী দেখুক, এই তীব্র সূর্যের সামনে তুমি
সভ্য পথচারীদের আগুনে স্তম্ভিত ক’রে রেখে
উন্মাদ কবির সঙ্গে স্নান করছো প্রকাশ্য ঝর্ণায়।
জয় গোস্বামী

***
Bathing
Let me tell you today, reluctantly: I want to be enchanted, just once.
I have watched from afar. Never saying anything openly.
I did not have the courage to lose myself to a waterfall -
Now I see the time for complete surrender passes me by each day…
I know, you have only expected force from men.
The lover who said he would take you away to the land of flowers but
Left you by the roadside, I know his false promises
You still wear in your hair like amulets of bone.
What if I say today, those fragments of skull I come
To tear apart, only if you say I can? What if I say
I am the man, for whom you have waited so long
An untouched river of passion within you?
Listen, I am a creature of the night. From this city
I still hide my singed wings;
My youth has not seen me heal. Only I
Have seen the birth of flowers as I sat beside death,
I have wished to show a sightless girl a little moonlight
For that I keep alive this vast unpeopled night.
See, that same night looks into your eyes, a message-
If you understand then enchant this silent poet;
If he hesitates, then stand before them all
Blind him,rain your unfulfilled kisses on his tortured eyes…
Let the world see, before this burning sun
Normal people with their tongues silenced
As you bathe with the mad poet at a waterfall in full view of them.
Snan, Joy Goswami
(Translation, mine)

Deshe Bideshe



"He asked me whether I knew anyone in Peshawar or if I would go to a hotel. I said, 'An acquaintance of a friend is coming to the station, but I have never seen him before and am a little concerned about how he will recognise me.'
The Sardarji smiled and said, 'It is not as if a carriage load of Bengalis are getting off the train in Peshawar, if you wait for a couple of minutes he will surely find you.'
Encouraged, I answered, 'Of course but since I am wearing a pair of shorts-'
The Sardar laughed loudly at this and said, 'Do people know each other by the parts covered by a pair of shorts?'
I mumbled, 'No, but it would probably have helped if I had worn a dhoti and a panjabi-'
The Sardar was not to be beaten. He said, 'Tajjab ki baat! Amazing! A Bengali can only be recognised by the 'Punjabi' he wears!'
I decided not to go any further with that for fear that the Sardarji would make a bigger fool of me if I tried to explain to him the subtle differences between a Punjabi and the panjabi worn by a Bengali. I decided instead to let him talk. I asked, 'How much cloth do you need to make a pair of your salwar pants?'
He said, 'Three and half in Delhi, four and half in Jalandhar, five and half in Lahore, six and half in Lalamusa, seven and half in Rawalpindi, then ten and half in one jump by the time you reach Peshawar and in the land of the Pathans, Kohat Khyber - you will need the entire bolt of cloth.'
'Twenty metres?'
'Yes, of khaki shirting. "

~ Deshe Bideshe/Home and Abroad - an account of his journey to Kabul and the time he spent there
Syed Mujtaba Ali, 1949

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Rajkahini: Excerpt.



'When Maldev brought Hambeer to the court where his father and his father's father had ruled their kingdom from, one cannot begin to describe what was going through Hambeer's mind. He felt as though all the brave men of the past stood around the empty throne of Chittore at the other end of that vast room, watching him. They stood wordless, in their armour of gold and drawn swords.
 All the Rajputs who had come with Hambeer looked at the throne as one. The golden umbrella above the empty throne flashed by the light of torches before disappearing into the darkness again and again. 
As soon as the five hundred had stood up after paying their respects to the throne, the darkness seemed to dissolve and Kamalkumari appeared with her handmaidens and placed a garland of lotus flowers around Hambeer's neck. It was as if the deity of Chittore had been languishing in the empty palace all alone; today the true heir came and rescued her from a curse."
Rajkahini, Abanindranath Tagore
Illustration, Subrata Gangopadhyay


Illustration: Subrata Gangopadhyay

Tuesday, May 5, 2015





Sorrows Old and New:
The sorrows that are long gone, I call back today
Me and my shadow; if sorrow comes and joins us
It is good, I feel like saying to my new pain, go
And spend a few days in another garden of happiness.
Crush a few flowers underfoot, burn some green leaves, ruin it all
Go away for a few days and tire yourself out
Then come back.
Let the old sorrow sit with me in the meantime
It comes after ravaging many gardens and lives,
It wants to sit with me; so let it for a few days
Find peace and company; you can come after that
New sorrow, you may come to me afterwards.
Shakti Chattopadhyay
(Translation, mine)

Sunday, March 22, 2015

তোমার চিবুক ছোঁবো, কালিমা ছোঁবো না ::::: আবুল হাসান/



তোমার চিবুক ছোঁবো, কালিমা ছোঁবো না :::::
আবুল হাসান
এ ভ্রমণ আর কিছু নয়, কেবল তোমার কাছে যাওয়া
তোমার ওখানে যাবো, তোমার ভিতরে এক অসম্পূর্ণ যাতনা আছেন,
তিনি যদি আমাকে বলেন, তুই শুদ্ধ হ’ শুদ্ধ হবো
কালিমা রাখবো না!
এ ভ্রমণ আর কিছু নয়, কেবল তোমার কাছে যাওয়া
তোমার ওখানে যাবো; তোমার পায়ের নীচে পাহাড় আছেন
তিনি যদি আমাকে বলেন, তুই স্নান কর
পাথর সরিয়ে আমি ঝর্ণার প্রথম জলে স্নান করবো
কালিমা রাখবো না!
এ ভ্রমণ আর কিছু নয়, কেবল তোমার কাছে যাওয়া
এখন তোমার কাছে যাবো
তোমার ভিতরে এক সাবলীল শুশ্রূষা আছে
তিনি যদি আমাকে বলেন, তুই ক্ষত মোছ আকাশে তাকা–
আমি ক্ষত মুছে ফেলবো আকাশে তাকাবো
আমি আঁধার রাখবো না!
এ ভ্রমণ আর কিছু নয়, কেবল তোমার কাছে যাওয়া
যে সকল মৌমাছি, নেবুফুল গাভীর দুধের সাদা
হেলেঞ্চা শাকের ক্ষেত
যে রাখাল আমি আজ কোথাও দেখি না– তোমার চিবুকে
তারা নিশ্চয়ই আছেন!
তোমার চিবুকে সেই গাভীর দুধের শাদা, সুবর্ণ রাখাল
তিনি যদি আমাকে বলেন, তুই কাছে আয় তৃণভূমি
কাছে আয় পুরনো রাখাল!
আমি কাছে যাবো আমি তোমার চিবুক ছোঁবো, কালিমা ছোঁবো না!
***
I will touch your chin, not the sadness within
~This journey is nothing but returning to you
I will go to where you are, to that incomplete pain within you who lives in you,
If it says to me, purify yourself, I will
Leaving no trace of sadness.
This journey is nothing but returning to you
I will go to where you are, where mountains grow about your feet
If it says to me, bathe
I will move the rocks aside and bathe in the first rush of those waterfalls
Leaving no trace of sadness.
This journey is nothing but going to you
Now I will go to where you are
Within you lies a power for easy healing
If it says to me, wash your wounds, look at the skies
I will do just that and look at the skies
I will not keep the darkness close
This journey is nothing but returning to you
Those bees, lemon blossom, white milk,
Those fields of crops
The shepherds I no longer see - in the dip of your chin
They must still live.
In the dip of your chin, the pure white of milk, the golden shepherd
If it says to me, come nearer meadows of grass,
Come to me, old shepherd!
I will go to you, touch that dip in your chin but not the sadness within.
Abul Hasan
(Translation, mine)

Friday, February 20, 2015

রাজা, মনোজ বসু /Raja by Manoj Basu



It was no mistake – this time Sudhir had written a post card himself. He was definitely coming home to the village this Saturday.  


‘Father, I am worried about all of you in the absence of any letters from home. I will be home by the twelve o’clock train on Saturday.’


Nibaran went inside the house and had a quick look at the almanac to see how Sudhir could afford to take the time off and come home at this time of the year. It did not seem to be a religious holiday mentioned in the book. He then reached for Sudhir’s letter once again, fumbling under the pillow where he had left it. But the letter was not there anymore.
No. The letter was now in the hands of a certain young woman standing by the window that looked on to the nut tree on the northern side of the house. It had been stolen from underneath the pillow by Kiranmala who was finding it hard to read the short letter because of her baby daughter’s antics. Each time she took the letter out, the baby reached for a corner with her chubby fingers. Eventually Kiran managed to get her sister-in-law to take the baby for a walk in the neighbourhood. But as soon as she took the letter out, her mother-in-law came to the room asking her to strip the bed sheets off the bed so that they could be washed. She was going to wash them all early in the morning, boiling them with soda so that they could dry before her son came home. She looked at Kiran and frowned.

‘You must bathe and do your hair tomorrow. He lives in the city now and will not like seeing you with the sort of messy hairdo that you usually sport! My boy is very particular!’

Kiranmala clutched the letter to her bosom and laughed in silent merriment. What kind of a boy had whiskers like that? A boy indeed!

Outside, Nibaran’s voice was getting angrier and louder. The local blacksmith had come by to claim money for a knife which he had made about seven years ago. There was still a small amount owing on it and the fellow wanted his payment. If one paid attention it would seem he was about to lose everything if he wasn’t given the few coins still owed to him. But Nibaran was not so easily fooled. He assured the blacksmith that all payments would be made by his son Sudhir and asked him to have a smoke instead.

He then began, ‘Haven’t you heard? Sudhir has got a very good job in the city. He gets a good salary and everything!’

Now everyone in the village knew about Nibaran’s tendency to exaggerate things. He had been going on about Sudhir’s job in the city for a long time now. His boss was about to give him a raise; various other utterances had been made by his father on the spur of the moment. No one believed him anymore. That is not until this letter arrived from Sudhir. Even if his salary was more in the hundreds and not in the thousands like his father claimed, the blacksmith still saw a chance of being paid in full.

Nibaran swelled with pride. He went on to describe how well his son was doing with a three storey house, more maids and servants than one really needed and the hefty salary with all its extras. Why, he went to work with empty pockets each morning and came back with his clothes weighed down with coins; that was how well he was doing!

The blacksmith was thrilled to hear all this. Sudhir was that kid he remembered, walking past the shop on his way to the fisherman’s for the day’s fish. Who ever knew that he would do so well! He smiled and said that this was good news indeed. All of Nibaran’s problems would surely be solved now.
Nibaran showed some uncharacteristic modesty and said that it was good to hear others praise his son. He himself found it hard to believe that his son was living such a lavish lifestyle. He believed Sudhir might want them all to go to the city this time when he went back.

Kiran heard her father-in-law loudly talk about his son’s salary and his house and the servants. She had never been to the city nor seen a king with her own eyes. She had seen the king with his tinfoil crown and shiny brocade robes in the local village plays. Even though she knew her father-in-law to be no champion of truth, she felt amused when she imagined Sudhir dressed like them. In her short life she had known many hardships. Her father had remarried on her mother’s death while she was still a child and her stepmother had mistreated her horribly. She imagined her own long dead mother looking down upon her good fortune and decided against doing her hair that night as it was too late. She looked at all the preparations for the following day in the kitchen and felt like laughing out loudly with happiness.

Then her sister-in-law and all the children of the neighbourhood came to play in their courtyard by moonlight and Kiran stood watching them, baby balanced on her hip. The little girl smiled and dribbled, babbling ‘Babababa’
Kiran was amazed at how her daughter knew what to say for the child had only been a sweet possibility when Sudhir left the village to seek work in the city. How sad was that she thought, that he did not know how beautiful a child they had created. Then she grew angry for why had he not tried to visit them once in the last two years?

That night she was unable to sleep. The waiting and the worrying made her so hot that she had to get up to wash her face and neck three times. She then lay there, forcing her eyes to stay closed. Moonlight entered like the loving memories of the past and caressed her limbs. Two years was a long time. Everyone used to call Sudhir good-for-nothing and they blamed Kiran for his lack of employment. Even her mother-in-law would frown on her as if it was Kiran’s doing that Sudhir would not seek a livelihood away from the village. How she had wanted him to leave and how pleased she had been the day he did. It hurt to think of those days now. But now it was all going to change; she was going to be a woman of means – by this time tomorrow –
She imagined what it might be like the next night. She would come to bed and find Sudhir asleep; she would look closely at his tightly shut eyes and make various sounds to wake him up, but to no avail. Then as soon as she came to bed after turning the light out he would grab her with his arms. He had never really been asleep! 

She would ask him to sit outside with her in the moonlight but he would tease her about her fear of the darkness. Did he know she had grown up in the last two years?

Or perhaps he would bring a golden necklace for the baby? She would not let him look at the little one until he begged her. Then she would wonder how a little girl would look with an expensive necklace like that around her neck. Would she not chew on the beads with the four tiny teeth she already had?

They would look at the beautiful child and then Kiran would tease him about her daughter’s nose which was just like his. How would she do in the world with a squashed down nose like that?

The night passed in reminiscing over old times and dreaming about the days ahead.

The next morning her sister-in-law teased her by calling out each time she saw someone on the road to their house, even the cows when they went past.

When Nibaran went to the markets he had a fight with people at the fishmongers. He had waited for the fellow to lower the price on four fish for almost one whole hour when Akrur came and snatched them from under his very eyes at the price that was being asked. Akrur had just sold a large quantity of molasses the previous day and was feeling particularly generous. Nibaran was furious at the spite and boldness of the molasses maker and people had to separate the two men when tempers flared.

Twelve o’clock came and went. Sudhir was not on the train. The family waited and waited before eventually eating the meal so lovingly prepared for him and went to have a rest. Kiran was about to sit down to her lunch when she saw someone walking towards the house. She looked and looked and then ran into the kitchen.

A little later Sudhir’s voice could be heard calling out for his mother. He was covered in sweat and grime. None of the maids and man servants people had heard about were to be seen with him. He hauled a battered tin trunk into the house.

His mother fanned him as he ate his lunch and looked at his wretched appearance. He looked prematurely old, perhaps the journey adding to the effects of his job.

He had barely eaten when the villagers began turning up in droves at their house. Some asked for help with placing their own sons in jobs; others asked for money that was owing to them. Even the members of the local theatrical society turned up; they hoped to buy a proper wig so that they could stage more plays and they wanted him to become their patron.

Eventually late at night, when everyone had gone and Sudhir had seen the last of the visitors off, he came to the kitchen to eat his dinner. Kiran had fallen asleep by the covered plate. Sudhir woke her up. He had no hunger after eating at the houses of various well wishers. Kiran began talking to him.

‘You will stay for a few days?’

‘Only a few, why do you wish to drive me away? I am not leaving for the next three months!’

‘But how can you call me cruel? You are the one who never came to see the baby!’

‘Believe me I couldn’t. I have been through the toughest of times. I slept on the streets and ate puffed rice; some days I only drank water from the roadside taps. Thankfully the water was free!’

‘That is sad, but thankfully those days are over.’

Kiran began again when she saw Sudhir was quiet.

‘You must meet your daughter’

‘I have seen her. There she is.’

‘Not like that! Properly, with a piece of gold jewellery! She says she wants to see the promenade in the city.’

‘Does she now? How does she know what to say? What will she do there?’

‘Do you want her to sit at home all day in your three storey house? A little girl gets bored easily!’

‘What three storey house is this you mention?’

‘Why, the one you own in the city. With all the maids and the man servants that you pay with all the money you bring home each day. Your father talks about it all the time.’

‘These are all lies, Kiran.’

‘All lies?’

‘Yes, all lies! I had thought I would rent a place. But then I lost the job and had to give up on that dream.’

‘You will have a job again, won’t you?’

Sudhir fell silent. Kiran spoke again shortly.

‘Fine, perhaps you do not wish me to go there. At least take your parents. They want to visit the temples and bathe in the Ganges.’

Sudhir remained silent. Eventually Kiran fell asleep. Sudhir began writing a letter to her.



~Kiran,
You have heard some falsehoods about me. I did have a job but I had a very poor salary. I did have a roof over my head but it was a tin roof over bamboo walls. I lost that position a week ago. I lost the bond I had paid on the house. Only the one who sees everything knows how I have spent the last two years. I have no wish to beg my way through life in the city. I came home to rest and revive my spirits. But not one of you will let me be. I cannot bare my soul even to you.
After paying the rent, my loans and the place I get my meals from I have eleven rupees left. I am leaving a ten rupee note with this letter. Please use it to buy your daughter a gold chain, pay the blacksmith, buy a beard for the drama society and positions for all the job hunters of our acquaintance. Plus any other wishes you may harbor. Do not worry about me; I still have one rupee.’



(Translation: Mine)