Frenzied Water Course
Original: Satyendranath Dutta
Translation: Gazi Abdulla-hel Baqui
[This beautiful Bangla poem titled ‘Pagla Jora’ was composed by Satyendranath Dutta, an eminent poet in Bangla Literature, who is called’ Chander Zadukar’(The Wizard of Rhythms). This poem is very rhythmic and replete with numerous figures of speech.]
Will not anyone of you hear the woeful tales of the Frenzied Water Course?
Will you neglect me as I am frenzied? Neglect my poignant anguish?
I was born in a cold womb; I am incomparable on shore-land,
I am uterine brother of the Indus and frenzied brother of the sister Ganges.
I was not at all happy with my lone life in the snow-desert,
So I would stealthily peep into the dark downwards,
I gliding and sliding coming out curiously
Rolled on rushing,—and spread across the fallow lands.
No barrier along my slippery path or any pull from behind,
Everyday new mates join the frantic dance of Frenzied Water Course!
It flowed hopping step by step and cascading from high up
And sounding cleaving the hill it danced in the wild whirlpool.
Flying dust by gust of liquid, mitigating pains of air,
Tangling the bunches of thread less orchids on matted hair;
An age-old large tree with barks and water-weeds covering its body,
I uprooting it with a crash caused it dance with beats of current.
Weeping in chocked rage beneath the caves, at once laughing in light,
Being an enemy of elephants, swiftly running with black deer,
Sounding like roaring gale and encompassing the silent solitary land,
Pouringmagic spell into the ears of an old insensate and inanimate hill,
I dancing to my heart’s content was excited with unbounded happiness,
Without rhythms these days I am going to die with a dejected mood;
I am going to die recalling all my bygone happiness;
I am now streaming a slender body as out of a water-pot’s spout.
The crafty people hatching out secret plots and tearing up my body
Spread them to various quarters, having no love and affection!
I was just like myself,—in the lap of hills undisputed,
And man stayed at so distant a place—without any clash amidst us;
Yet they fettered me, also kept me as a prisoner,
The small-statured man having a short life span has at last bound me!
He set a trap by contrivance and I could not escape from it,
So I am growing slender and gradually melting into my own tears.
Those who knew me before are saying, listen, ‘Now you appear unknown’!
When will the horn of destruction trumpet?—my mouth is now foaming!
How long will the fetters around my disabled legs stay-on?
When will they dance in dreadful beats? Can anyone of you tell it?
Biographical Information:
Dr. Gazi Abdulla-hel Baqui, poet, writer, translator, and a university professor, has already authored twenty books and great number of poems, (many haiku and rubaiyat), articles and stories have been published in different Newspapers, Magazines, Journals, Periodicals etc. .
CNBangla/Jibom
