Bengali Poetry in English Translation

Translated by Faizul Latif Chowdhury

Bhasani : Reminiscence of a missing mountain

Al Mahmud

Maulana’s capped head, held high, was

As it were¾ the reminiscence of a missing mountain.

Now and then I went beside this mountain¾

Serene, as if a blow of wind lost within self

''What's the use of poetry'', said he, ''freedom first,

Then bread and butter''.

''And then?'' I would ask, ''What else Maulana?

after your rice and robe?''

Silent¾he turned on his plate

the bowl of lobster curry

that my sister sent for him

And ate, silently, like an aged python.

The dinner over, he picked the teeth,

combed the beard

And you know , nothing more he could require then

¾''Well, you can tell me anything now

Even any nonsense verse from your notebook''.

But before I could open my book, he was fast asleep

And a mysterious sound of a distant wrecking

as if, overflowed his nostrils

And beside a napping mountain

All the words of my script hovered around

like a fluttering hopper.