Banalata Sen
For thousands of years I roamed the paths of this earth,
From waters round Ceylon in dead of night to Malayan seas.
Much have I wandered. I was there in the grey world of Asoka
And Bimbisara, pressed on through darkness to the city of Vidarbha.
I am weary heart surrounded by life’s frothy ocean.
To me she gave a moment’s peace–Banalata Sen from Natore.
Her hair was like an ancient darkling night in Vidisa,
Her face, the craftsmanship of Sravasti. As the helmsman,
His rudder broken, far out upon the sea adrift,
Sees the grass-green land of a cinnamon isle, just so
Through darkness I saw her. Said she, “Where have you been so long?”
And raised her bird’s nest-like-like eyes–Banalata Sen from Natore.
At day’s end, like hush of dew
Comes evening. A hawk wipes the scent of sunlight fom its wings.
When earth’s colors fade and some pale design is sketched,
Then glimmering fireflies paint in the story.
All birds come home, all rivers, all of this life’s tasks finished.
Only darkness remains, as I sit there face to face with Banalata Sen.
- by Jibanananda Das. Trans. Clinton B. Seely
More here.
There is no better way to end the day than to do so with a poem like this.
Thank you for sharing.
./w
Comment by ./w — August 22, 2006 @ 4:12 am
I read this and remembered the actual one, which had sort of inspired or helped me (to put it simply) to write Bengali in a simple, flowing way and not the stilted way, full of long words.
Gosh, made me nostalgic…
Comment by Apu — August 28, 2006 @ 6:53 am
Where did my comment go?
Well, to reiterate….this made me nostalgic…
Comment by Apu — August 28, 2006 @ 6:55 am