Durgeswar Sarma’s Poem

World Play

We have got to dance throughout the life
To whose tune that we don’t know
We have got to sing throughout the life
Whose song that we don’t know

We are toys of clay that have got to dance
Who makes us dance that we do not see
We’re someone’s flutes to have got to sound
Who plays us that we do not see

We have got to sing someone’s praise
Forgetting our own selves
We have got to work for someone
Getting no rest for ourselves


Taking different roles we have always
Got to perform the world play
We are just actors laughing crying dancing
Our roles we’ve learned to play

Translated by Nirendra Nath Thakuria

Durgeswar Sarma (b.1882-d.1961) was an Assamese poet and playwright.

Nirendra Nath Thakuria, retired Associate Professor of English, is a translator.

Click here for the original Assamese poem.