A Sunshine Too Brief

Thursday

Poem: Return home

Return Home

by Jibonanondo Das

When I return to the banks of the Dhansiri, to this Bengal,

Not as a man, perhaps, but as a salik bird or white hawk.

As a dawn crow in this land of autumn's new rice harvest,

I'll float upon the breast of fog one day in the shade of a jackfruit tree.

Or I'll be some young girl's pet duck, ankle bells upon her reddened feet

I'll spend the day floating on duckweed-scented waters.

When again I come, smitten by Bengal's rivers and fields, to this

Green and kindly land, Bengal, moistened by the Jalangi river's waves;

Perhaps I'll watch the buzzards soar on sunset's breeze,

Or listen to a spotted owl screeching from a simul tree branch,

A child scatters puffed rice upon the grass of some home's courtyard.

On the Rupsa river's murky waters a youth perhaps steers his boat

Its torn white sail reddish clouds scud by, and in the darkness,

Coming to their nest, I shall see white herons

Among them all is where you'll find me.

(Translation of one of my my favourite Bengali poems, in memory of the Independence day of Bangladesh tomorrow, December 16th)

At 6:55 p.m., December 15, 2005, F.S.Kabir said...: did u translate this?

shimi - do u know i think u should look into translating the works of bangla people - u do a really good job!
At 11:56 a.m., December 25, 2005, Tazzy said...: arey nah. I found it online, didn't mention who translated it:P
pff. Me and translate poetry that would the day :( I barely understand it.
:) fiction maybe, not poetry. I'll leave that to you ;)
At 6:28 p.m., December 26, 2005, F.S.Kabir said...: dude - please i remember that "eighteen" poem you wrote for Qara magazine. I still love it!
At 7:37 p.m., December 26, 2005, Tazzy said...: 'eighteen' ?
Oh yes Shukanto's 'Atharo bochor boyosh'!
sigh.
Yes loved and still love that poem.

Hmm well now if I'm ever able to translate Tagore's 'Shadaron Meye' that might amount to something.