Swans / Abu Karim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As sleep is the soil of sandal paste,

you’ve pasted it on your forehead with love.

 

 

 

But alas, you pass sleepless nights in desolation!

The noise of breaking the banks of a river calls me

with a miraculous mystery

that keeps my ribs cold and blank

as there a boy scribbles the whole morning.

 

 

Sleep is like the foam of the sea;

and waves drive it away.

 

 

 

Sleep, you’re silence wrapped in brocade

of moonlight on arum leaves.

 

 

You’re awake with us like a watchman.

Nature has also become a tramp tonight

keeping distance from the bed.

 

 

2.

 

Dear girl, you still don’t know if it is delusion of love;

Even after half of the longevity drops down,

Like the leaves of tamarind, life tree tastes sour with blood.

 

Delusion is much sleep-evoking

that is like a tablet to take at noon,

and love means floating on moonlit boat

for whole night and play awakening game.

 

Having thirst to the throat

feeling  that I won’t touch that body

that is a poison of wild cobra that stream down

even the whole palate.

 

Now we’ve to float on the current of life

dangling  on black thread—

such a moaning morning and such a noon

that we apprehend all the embryos in the wombs

of women are crippled and dead.

 

Spanning the whole life, It will remain impossible

to know whether it is delusion or love.

 

 

We better make ourselves engaged

in dissatisfied union in this dark moment

waiting for crimson jasmine days.

 

On both sides of our journey on the chariot of stars

bowing  Shefali rows offer as flowers of blessing.

Oh moon, the fairy, please, come down

with a boat of sleep on our eyelids.

 

 

 

 

 

1976

 

''তিলকের মাটি'' কবিতার অনুবাদ ।

[Translated by Dulal Al Monsur]

As sleep is the soil of sandal paste,

you’ve pasted it on your forehead with love.

 

 

 

But alas, you pass sleepless nights in desolation!

The noise of breaking the banks of a river calls me

with a miraculous mystery

that keeps my ribs cold and blank

as there a boy scribbles the whole morning.

 

 

Sleep is like the foam of the sea;

and waves drive it away.

 

 

 

Sleep, you’re silence wrapped in brocade

of moonlight on arum leaves.

 

 

You’re awake with us like a watchman.

Nature has also become a tramp tonight

keeping distance from the bed.

 

 

2.

 

Dear girl, you still don’t know if it is delusion of love;

Even after half of the longevity drops down,

Like the leaves of tamarind, life tree tastes sour with blood.

 

Delusion is much sleep-evoking

that is like a tablet to take at noon,

and love means floating on moonlit boat

for whole night and play awakening game.

 

Having thirst to the throat

feeling  that I won’t touch that body

that is a poison of wild cobra that stream down

even the whole palate.

 

Now we’ve to float on the current of life

dangling  on black thread—

such a moaning morning and such a noon

that we apprehend all the embryos in the wombs

of women are crippled and dead.

 

Spanning the whole life, It will remain impossible

to know whether it is delusion or love.

 

 

We better make ourselves engaged

in dissatisfied union in this dark moment

waiting for crimson jasmine days.

 

On both sides of our journey on the chariot of stars

bowing  Shefali rows offer as flowers of blessing.

Oh moon, the fairy, please, come down

with a boat of sleep on our eyelids.

 

 

 

 

 

1976

 

''তিলকের মাটি'' কবিতার অনুবাদ ।

[Translated by Dulal Al Monsur]

As sleep is the soil of sandal paste,

you’ve pasted it on your forehead with love.

 

 

 

But alas, you pass sleepless nights in desolation!

The noise of breaking the banks of a river calls me

with a miraculous mystery

that keeps my ribs cold and blank

as there a boy scribbles the whole morning.

 

 

Sleep is like the foam of the sea;

and waves drive it away.

 

 

 

Sleep, you’re silence wrapped in brocade

of moonlight on arum leaves.

 

 

You’re awake with us like a watchman.

Nature has also become a tramp tonight

keeping distance from the bed.

 

 

2.

 

Dear girl, you still don’t know if it is delusion of love;

Even after half of the longevity drops down,

Like the leaves of tamarind, life tree tastes sour with blood.

 

Delusion is much sleep-evoking

that is like a tablet to take at noon,

and love means floating on moonlit boat

for whole night and play awakening game.

 

Having thirst to the throat

feeling  that I won’t touch that body

that is a poison of wild cobra that stream down

even the whole palate.

 

Now we’ve to float on the current of life

dangling  on black thread—

such a moaning morning and such a noon

that we apprehend all the embryos in the wombs

of women are crippled and dead.

 

Spanning the whole life, It will remain impossible

to know whether it is delusion or love.

 

 

We better make ourselves engaged

in dissatisfied union in this dark moment

waiting for crimson jasmine days.

 

On both sides of our journey on the chariot of stars

bowing  Shefali rows offer as flowers of blessing.

Oh moon, the fairy, please, come down

with a boat of sleep on our eyelids.

 

 

 

 

 

1976

 

''তিলকের মাটি'' কবিতার অনুবাদ ।

[Translated by Dulal Al Monsur]