a collection of poems by
SUKUMAR CHOUDHURI
Elegy
Keep silence, shut your eyes
if you can, ask God
to put off lights for a while.
It’s a tragic scene
a heartrending sequence indeed
novel, pure and beautiful,
a wise man
shedding tears
in nightlong nihility
_______________________
translated by poet from original Bengali poem "Shok"
ENJOY FEW MORE POEMS OF SUKUMAR ~
1. Flute
It is nothing
as if the night ponderer flute
is ready to resonate
You give it desired lips
the vital air
Touch it lightly in its somber sleep
keep in mind
its awakened song
will make many a dormant volcanoes
come alive
__________________________________________
Translated by ASIMKUMAR BASU from the original Bengali poem "O"
2. Ethereal
In the bath-house
where birds' nests emit aroma ~ Afrique,
I shall take you today
for a display of sparrows in coitus.
No, this won't again be a show of blue-film
before saying 'Good Night'.
This is so organic a feeling,
like touch and stimulation,
pores of your skin will find
ample measures of thrill notes
that will soak your soul;
Sexpert sparrow's game is so arresting,
sexpert sparrow's play is so much lasting
sans gossamer.
But you maintain strict silence
may be lying still in foaming bathtub.
You've seen ample
Academy, galleried art,
you've read treatises a-la-aesthetics,
you've listened to pedagogy original,
you've spent a fortune
on gossamer, brassiere brands,
today you see those birds
meditate in ethereal art.
__________________________________________
Translated by ARINDAM GHOSH from original Bengali poem 'Shilpo' appeared in DESH.
3. Victim
As if rolling down
like a ball of w o o l.
From the ocean
Emerging aggressive rhythms.
The sky has tilted full
to spread nothingness.
The roughened stoneage is
sliding down the slope, diverse mounts.
And me
reckless
as if rolling down
like a ball of w o o l
______________________________________
Translated by ARINDAM GHOSH from the original Bengali poem 'Shikar'
4. Detour
And after a long time, the idiot Kolkata
was sanctified by my uncherished visit .
The tuberail greeted me with a leper smile.
From the dump of coconuts, three lakh beggars
bowed to welcome me.
And after a long time,
I walked upon the cold tramlines.
Just then, one by one,
glowed up the blue advertisement, blue lights,
and I remembered the sign of
a brassiere hanging like a sinful desire
from the sleeping berth in the train.
O God, I am not feeling cold in this breeze.
Has Kolkata lost its wintry chill
by the warmth of its scantily-clad women ?
I continued to walk with a lighted cigarette
ripping the chest of Kolkata.
And sanctified became your city,
the idiot Kolkata
_______________________________________________________
Translated from original Bengali poem 'ANICHHA BHRAMAN' by Kamalesh Bandopadhyay
5. The Dawn
At one time the morning rays Spill on the veranda of our small sweet home
Little sparrows and village mynahs
beat in exhilaration
Just bathed my Mother in her soaked saree
plucks flowers for pooja
Kamin didi holding the sweeping broom
moves towards the Kolkay tree
At one time the sound of local womenfolks
rhythmic beating of rice thresher stops
Lying on my bed I see and sense all this
Just to fall asleep again
After all my entire life is
Nothing but a long dark night
___________________________________
Recipient of Durer Kheya, 'Sahitya Setu', 'Mahadiganto', Maya Megh and many awards, Sukumar is a young Bengali poet presently residing at 215 Vasant Vihar, Lawa Road, Wadi, Nagpur ~ 440 023. The poem Dawn is translated by KAMALESH BANDOPADHYAY from Sukumars original Bengali poem Vore appeared in his first poem-book Manush Hey
6. Wild
In the dark and thrilling night
Mahul aroma fills the air
Love and fancy in your eyes
Started singing rural songs
Can not control roving hands
Both are breathing deep and warm
Waves and tides of excitement
Rise in my blood, high and high
Your beauty makes me drunk
Dozen chhou drums beat aloud
Within my heart, know not how
To the tilting tune you sing
Such a night and you-and-I
On the bed of fallen leaves
We shall spread as fiery fuel
Devour the forest in lusty flames
Full to brim in drunken love
Reach the heavens, lying close
__________________________________________________
Translated by KAMALESH BANDOPADHYAY from original Bengali poem 'BUNO'
7. Diary
The warmth of election subdues, saluations hail
Indira from all corners
And the suffering common-men
start worrying
Some followers of the
victorious Chitto (1) wipes out
the camp of the vanquished Priyo (2)
in jubilation at the bus stop
Eight O clock at night, chilly winter around
alone I return home
The roadside betel kiosks close one by one
On the ash dump a skeletal dog lies in a coil
In Rooma's house glows a dimly light
at the Tulsi platform
Haven't seen Rooma for a long long time
In maroon saree, dark blue cardigan, copper body
Rooma, the eternal girl, where are you
In which blind cinnamon island
Radios blare from the family households
Three persons covered in woven rags
move towards the railway station
Throwing the stump of my cigarette
I too slip into my shelter
A truant cock crows out from the dustbin
(1) Chittaranjan Mahato
(2) Priyoranjan Dasmunshi
____________________________________________
Translated by KAMALESH BANDOPADHYAY from the original Bengali 'DINOLIPI'
8. Insult
Just before dawn the moon dropped
below the horizon
And earths age increased
by a day
I became older by a day
I opened my eyes to bid See You
to my departing friend
And again plunged into sleep vacuum
It would be nice if this slumber of ours
could take us to the endless sleep
Such an idea sprang up in mind
as soon as I woke up
Then while palming my rough beard
I noticed ~
My careerist friend has left behind
a five rupee note
on the table by mistake
____________________________________________
Translated by KAMALESH BANDOPADHYAY from original Bengali 'APAMAAN'
9. Memoirs
At times I remember that hotel room
broken earthen pitcher, rattling fan
alert lizards on the blank wall
obstinate bed bugs
frivolous noise from the tap, odorous air
gothic candlelight in darkness
At times I rememeber
the hill stations silent main road
at midnight, the tipsy car
touched and fled past the rickshaw
the policing vigil
At times I remember that room, that darkness
light memories of going astray for one night
my liquor bottle, silent roads, uncertain fear
I remember at times
_____________________________________________________
Translated by KAMALESH BANDOPADHYAY from original Bengali poem'SMRITI' appeared in Sukumar's first poem book 'Manush Hey'
10. Nordic Sadness
Rain is unknown sadness
it sighs
and weeps
and lashes the scrubbing women
to sweep the felicitous sweat
along with numerous aches.
On such days
of incessant rain
menfolk think of harvest
and with rain washed eyes
vision a bumper crop
or family welfare and self interest.
Who taken special note of rain
and its sadness unbound
days roll in our own cries
and sorrows
till it ends up once
when grey hair stalks
along the pattern of life.
Infact no man can do
only the plants weep for rain
as soil sobs in sympathy
and wind carries its wailing
the indepth melancholy..
__________________________________________
Translated by ARINDAM GHOSH from the original Bengali poem titled 'Diganta Bishad'
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SUKUMAR. Please visit following LINKS ~
01. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/Gotraheen.html
02. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/Flute.html
03. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/Sahitya_Setu.html
04. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/With_Shobhaa.html
05. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/sukumarS_DIARY.html
06. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/POEMSof_SUKUMAR.html
07. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/SUKUMARS_BIOGRAPH.html
08. http://www.webspawner.com/users/khananpatrikayahoo/index.html
09. http://www.indolink.com/Stories/Publish/s184.html
10. http://www.webspawner.com/users/sukumarchoudhuriya/
11. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/nightvision.html
12. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/SUKUMARs_ISLAND.html
13. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/classicblue.html
14. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/fundmental.html
15. http://www.webspawner.com/users/khananpatrika/index.html
16. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/WILD_SUKUMAR.html
17. http://www.webspawner.com/users/sukumarchoudhuriya/index.html
18. http://www.webspawner.com/users/khananpatrikaa/index.html
19. http://www.indolink.com/Stories/Publish/s230.html
20. http://www.webspawner.com/users/khannan
21. http://www.webspawner.com/users/khananpatrikaa/
22. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/Fictional_Sukumar.html
23. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/Diganta_Bishad.html
24. http://www.geocities.com/khanan_patrika/Shikar.html
25. http://geocities.com/khanan_patrika/Ethereal_Sukumar.html
26. http://geocities.com/khanan_patrika/Bichhinno.html