Long ago one night we were possessed by Jibonanondo.

 

 

After drinking to the throat, with a possessed love

with loud voice and silence

Monowar and I opened each and every poem

as if petals of flowers.

 

If anyone dies in an accident, his soul turns a ghost.

His ghost roams here and there,

specially on the branches of the tamarind tree .

 

 

That night the ghost of Jibonanondo possessed us

from a tamarind tree of Romna.

The ghost instigated us to recite and listen to poems for the whole night.

We had recited those poems thousand times,

listened million times.

 

At around dawn Monowar caught my hand

and declared Jibonanondo

to be the last poet; none else more should write Bangla poetry.

He warned me not to   write any poem further

and suggested if I had any more

craving for poetry, I should write prose.

 

Though I agreed with him that night .

I spoilt much paper writing many impotent poems.

I’ve not been writing more than an era.

Still sometimes the ghost of Jibonanondo

possesses me. This ghost wants me to

go on practicing with some more new poems.

 

 

 

 

 February 7, 1993

 

 

'' জীবনানন্দের ভূত '' কবিতার অনুবাদ

[Translated by Dulal Al Monsur]