Here is our grandmother, eighty years old.
Ignoring the scorching mid-day sun during summer
And the devastating flood
Ignoring winter cold alike
She moves on with her flowing grey hair like jute.
I met her and asked her,
"What have you been looking for, Aita
Bending over your stick
And scrutinizing the ground?"
Aita looked up to me
Raising her pale eyes
And told me one thing,
"You will not understand my dear.
I am looking for the lost twenty years of my youth and dreams
Wondering if it perished in the dust of the road."
Translated by Ananda Bormudoi
Hem Barua (b.1915-d.1977) was a noted Assamese poet and politician.
O Friend, what shall I talk of my woes
Poison came out in churning nectar
The sweet honey turned bitter
I wore a jasmine wreath on my bun
Its petals fell off
I kept the bird in a gold cage
That too flew off
At dusk a togar bud blossomed
When the evening breeze sighed
Seen by none smelt by none
That too wilted and died
Translated byNirendra Nath Thakuria
Lakshmiath Bezbaroa (b. 1864-d. 1938) was a renowned poet, novelist, playwright and satirist of Assam.
Nirendra Nath Thakuria, retired Associate Professor of English, is a translator.
There, the car brakes beside the gateway
And awaits in unrest.
The one inside the car shouts,
Are you ready?
Come on, hurry up, don't delay.
It's a long long way
Even if we keep going all through the night
We'll reach there only in the morning.
You don't need to pack any luggage
You needn't carry a thing
Once you reach there, you'll have everyone
Ready to fulfill your needs.
This house will remain stuck here
Where you'll never return;
Time shall wear it down to bits
Leaving not the faintest trace.
You'll clamber over one house to another
Abandoning one after the other
A country of your own lies in some other land
You're languishing here in peril.
Translated byKrishna Dulal Barua
Durgeswar Sarma (b.1882-d.1961) was an Assamese poet and playwright.
Krishna Dulal Barua is a prominent translator and writer based in Nagaon, Assam. He received the Katha Award for translation in 2005.
O' wayfarer of the unknown road!
Along which way had you come in search of a route?
You've lost the very course of the unfamiliar road.
Whose unheard voice had you heard?
Behind the shroud of the monsoon clouds
The gloomy streaks of the full moon today;
In the glum canvas of laughter and tears
What have you caught sight of
Unseen before?
In the distant blue sky of autumn
The moon doesn't gleam with its pleasant smile.
Behind the veil of clouds
The pale moon's forlorn smile surfaces.
Piercing the night's darkness
Glows a flame of light afar—
O' wayfarer of the dark road!
Can you now behold the route?
Translated byKrishna Dulal Barua
Nalinibala Devi (b. 1998-d.1977) was an Assamese poet known for her mystical poetry.
Krishna Dulal Barua is a prominent translator and writer based in Nagaon, Assam. He received the Katha Award for translation in 2005.
Sneaking beneath the lips
Keep peering with utmost stealth,
Beholding a black mole,
Leap into a dance
With a mind beaming with smiles.
Why so avid? I can't make you understand;
After all, I myself am clueless,
Would beauty land me a kiss?
True, everything lies as before
Yet something seems amiss,
The frenzied winds of the past
Has blown it away by some way.
Does the melody sound still
Quivering the leas of Assam?
Is that melody still heard
Upon the wide bosom of the Luit?
Who has robbed me today
Of the blissful dreams of youth?
Who has laid his cruel hands
On the strings of my endearing veena?
The fallen leaves come flying to say
There's no space on the laps of trees
The boatman with a heavy heart
Listlessly oars away downstream.
Translated byKrishna Dulal Barua
Jatindra Nath Duwara (b.1892-d.1964) was a notable Assamese poet.
Krishna Dulal Barua is a prominent translator and writer based in Nagaon, Assam. He received the Katha Award for translation in 2005.
এজন শিক্ষিত ব্যক্তি হিচাপে কবিতাৰ সৈতে আপোনাৰ সম্পৰ্কটো কেনেধৰণৰ?
এজন শিক্ষিত ব্যক্তি হিচাপে কবিতাৰ লগত আমাৰ সম্পৰ্ক ইয়াৰ গতিময়তা, শব্দশৃঙ্খল, আঙ্গিকৰ উপস্থাপনত, যিয়ে আমাক যি কোনো এটা কবিতাৰ মাজলৈ আৰ্কষণ কৰি নিব পাৰে। আনহাতে জ্ঞানসন্ধানী হিচাপে আমি কবিতা এটাৰ গৰ্ভস্থ বিষয়বস্তুৰ উপলব্ধিত সাঙোৰ খাই পৰোঁ। অন্তৰ্নিহিত অৰ্থই কবিতা এটা স্বতঃস্ফূৰ্তভাবে গ্ৰহণ কৰাত সহায় কৰে।
আপুনি কবিতা কিয় পঢ়ে?
কবিতাৰ চৰ্চা বা পঠনে মনত অনাবিল প্ৰশান্তিৰ সৃষ্টি কৰে। কল্পিত বিষয়বস্তু এটাক সুন্দৰ শব্দ চয়ন আৰু বাক্যগাঁথনিৰে সজাই তোলাৰ অপূৰ্ব কৌশলৰ বাবে একেটা কবিতাকে বাৰে বাৰে পঢ়িবলৈ মন যায় আৰু তাতে কবিতা এটা পঢ়াৰ তাগিদা নিৰ্ভৰ কৰে।
কেনে ধৰণৰ কবিতাই আপোনাক তৃপ্তি দিয়ে?
প্ৰকৃতি অনুপম, অজৰ অমৰ। মানুহৰ জীৱন প্ৰকৃতিৰ প্ৰতিটো অণু-পৰমাণুৰ লগত সংপৃক্ত। ভগৱানৰ অনন্য অৱদান এই প্ৰকৃতিৰ প্ৰাকৃতিক পৰিৱেশৰ ওপৰত ৰচনা কৰা কবিতা মোৰ প্ৰিয়। তদুপৰি সাম্প্ৰতিক সামাজিক চিত্ৰ ৰূপায়িত হোৱা, অৰ্থনৈতিক অৱস্থাৰ ওপৰত ৰচনা কৰা ইতিবাচক বাৰ্তাবাহক কবিতাক মই গুৰুত্ব দিওঁ। সদায় চকুৰে দেখি থকা গছপাতখিলাও ছবি হ’লে মন টানি ধৰাৰ দৰে কল্পনাৰ জৰিয়তে কবি এগৰাকীয়েও তেওঁৰ সৃষ্টিৰাজিৰ মাজেদিয়েই পাঠকক মন্ত্ৰমুগ্ধ কৰি ৰাখিব পাৰে। কবিৰ সকলো সৃষ্টিকেই সন্মান কৰোঁ। কবিতা এক কলা। চৌষষ্ঠি কলাৰ ভিতৰত কবিতাক আমি এটি সূক্ষ্ম কলা হিচাপে ধৰোঁ। যিমানেই কৰ্ষণ কৰা যায় সিমানেই সুমিষ্ট ফল পোৱা যায়। মন প্ৰফুল্লিত কৰা বা চিন্তাৰ খোৰাক দিয়া সকলো কবিতাই ভাল লাগে।
সাম্প্ৰতিক অসমীয়া কবিতা সম্পৰ্কে আপোনাৰ ধাৰণা কি?
সৃষ্টিত ন পুৰণি বুলি কথা নাথাকে। সুন্দৰৰ আৰাধনাতেই সৃষ্টিৰ প্ৰবণতা। এটা সময়ত বিশেষ কেইজনমান কবিৰ কথাহে জানিছিলোঁ। সময়ৰ লগে লগে কবিতা বহুলভাৱে চৰ্চিত হ’বলৈ আৰম্ভ কৰিছে। বিশেষকৈ সামাজিক মাধ্যমত কবিতাৰ চৰ্চা সততে দেখা পোৱা যায়। অৱশ্যে কিঞ্চিৎ হ’লেও ধাৰা সলনি হৈছে।
কবিসকলৰ প্ৰতি আপোনাৰ কি আহ্বান?
নতুন কবিসকলক ক’বলৈ মন যোৱা কথাটো হ’ল– মহীৰূহসকলক সন্মুখত ৰাখি আগবাঢ়ি যোৱা। সকলো কবিতা পঢ়াৰ সুযোগ নাপালেও ধাৰাবাহক হিচাপে গণ্য কৰা কবিসকল যথেষ্ট সংবেদনশীল আৰু তেওঁলোকৰ লেখা উচ্চ পৰ্যায়ৰ। কিন্তু তাৰ মাজতে কিছু লোকৰ চৰ্চা অন্তঃসাৰশূন্য আৰু দুৰ্বোধ্য যেন দেখা যায়। কিছুমান শব্দ শিকি য’তে ততে ব্যৱহাৰ কৰিলে ই শব্দৰ সমষ্টিহে হয় কবিতা নহয়।
O my mind, none but Rama is the Saviour from sin
the nectar of Paramananda’s lotus feet drink in
No penance, no pilgrimage, no sacrifice, no meditation
No mantra, no ritual pieties can bring us salvation
Mother father wife children and all kin will die
O blind mind, leave these thoughts and at Hari’s feet lie
Says Sankara, slave of Krishna, shed all worldly worries
Take refuge at Rama’s feet, and sing Govinda’s glories
Sri Sri Sankardev (1449-1568) was a 15-16th Century Indian Saint-Scholar, social and religious reformer, poet, playwright and musician of Assam. Borgeet or Songs Celestial is a tradition of raga and tala based Assamese song developed by Sri Sri Sankardev and Sri Sri Madhavdev, another Indian Saint-Scholar, poet of Assam.
Nirendra Nath Thakuria, retired Associate Professor of English, is a translator.
At night in the rains do you remember your poet
Arundhati
The dim light making oblivious
Of the evening smell of your bun
Do you remember
Arundhati
In the moonlight or gloom
In love or sadness cryptic poems
Between us lay the unseen barriers of broken dreams
Do you remember
Arundhati
Do you remember
The pearls on the dub grass
In the cloud of hair
The gliding moons of the slim fingers
(For a tide there was no sea)
Even at the touch cold as ice
How soothing it was
Arundhati
Arundhati
An instant nest for the bird that came flying
Braving the storm across the skies
After a host of dreams
In the crowded snatches of sleep
That lone sleepless night
Do you remember Arundhati
At night in the rains do you remember
Arundhati
