Today America is the most powerful state in the world,

dropping bombs wherever wishing

and teaching people democracy.

 

 

Suppose I have a very powerful gas-bomb in my hand;

it may kill all people in a moment;

and I am dropping it on the United States of America.

 

 

All people died in a moment out of the reaction of the explosion.

I will never commit such an inhuman act, or I do not have

the power to do so .

 

 

 

The whole USA became uninhabitable.

What would happen then? Six months, a year or two,

I mean within three or four years Manhattan, Mississippi,

Washington DC including the pentagonal buildings and rivers

in front of them, in a word, the whole nature became a desolate

forest; in a moment Las Vegas turned into a dense forest

like the one by the river Amazon.

 

 

 

 

What have we got from this example?

Man, only man is building civilization; doing all

wrecks, making bombs and dropping them.

 

 

 

Man is going on thinking and enriching the world of thoughts.

But what types of people are doing all these?

 

 

 

Those who are illiterate, are not organized,

lacking backbones, only endures tortures silently,

lacking dreams and love can change the world?

 

 

 

When you read this write up and after reading,

ponder for five minutes with closed eyes

and feel some power inside you, you can  be that

man who will change the world.

 

Then will you change the world?

Cannot you believe it?

OK, drop the matter of the world;

you can change Bangladesh, your homeland.

 

 

 

Do you still find it impossible?

Then drop the matter of the whole country,

you can change your own district or thana.

 

 

Does that task seem impossible to you?

OK, that big task may sound a mammoth one to you.

You can bring happiness in the circle of your family.

Try that at least to do.

 

Please, keep in mind that before creating anything

imagination and dreams take forms.

 

 

Nothing can be created without dreams.

those who speak Bangla cherish dreams.

 

 

 

So, chancellor Gokhley said, ‘’ What Bangalis think today

will come to the thought of the rest of India tomorrow.’’

 

 

 

They have broken Bangladesh into pieces,

but has the realm of the thoughts of Bangalis been broken

into smithereens?

 

 

 

 

 

22 April, 2005

 

‘স্বপ্ন’ কবিতার অনুবাদ

[Translated by Dulal Al Monsur]