A Few Stanzas 1) You spread your tresses And a cool breeze passed by The gypsy lover goes mad Searching for an oasis. 2) Flowers blossomed forth In the forest Was it a mistake to pluck one To adorn my plait to soothe my heart? 3) A thousand butterflies cast their shadows On eyes pale as stale fish Thorns hid cactus flowers A crow cawed in my heart. 4) The spotted dear runs over The desert sand in the dark The flute is silent on bed In trembling winter cold. 5) The warm afternoon sun The birds sing in joy The sun moves westward and sets Ashes and smoke remain Of the funeral pyre.
Samurai Every man is a Samurai In the world he builds for himself In the world Of hunger Knowledge Humanity And arrogance. Working hand Of honesty, sacrifice and courtesy Targets for his arrow The eye of a fish above Cuts out a fine sculpture From a hard stone of life's hill. The sycophants who blindfold Show the path of darkness The arrogant sun Burns himself To burn others And wipes out the sculpture He builds In his own path. The Samurai Loses kins After winning victory Or accepts defeat Admitting kins To his circle.
Translated by Dr Ananda Bormudoi
Indu Barua is an Assamese poet based in Guwahati.