Rahman, Shamsur; Cour, Ajeet (ed); Pankaj Bhan (ed); Kabir Chowdhury (tr); Kaiser Haq (tr);
Shamsur Rahman: A witness of his times
Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature, 2003
ISBN 8188703001
topics: | poetry | bengali | bangladesh | translation
A volume of translations from Rahman's work, sponsored by the SAARC foundation for literature, headed by Ajeet Cour and her daughter Aparna Cour.
tr. Kabir Chowdhury These days everyone behaves with me in such a way that I feel sorely tempted to lie down on my bed, turn my face away from the world, and go to sleep for seventy-two hours at a stretch with my side-pillow clutched to my breast. Or, I feel tempted to walk into a police station and sit there day and night, or, take into my arms some crazy fellow, call him a noble friend of the poor, and murmur meaningless inanities . These days everyone behaves with me in such a way as if I had struck someone on the head, or, gate-crashing into a wedding party, suddenly set fire to the bride's beautiful dress, or, at the sight of a dead body on its journey to the graveyard suddenly burst out laughing and unzipping my trousers started to piss in the midddle of the main street. I did not rob any bank, I did not hijack any car at midnight. So why should everyone look at me in this fashion? Come, look carefully - I have no wen on my forehead Alas, am I then Quasimodo, embarrassed every moment by the hump on my back, ever-weary ringing the bell with no rest? I am no thief or swindler. Look, dont set any spy on my trail for nothing. Please keep the prison-dock away from me. Record my confession here and now: I have hidden in my breast a rare treasure, the face of my beloved. p.64 --- other poems a silent witness 71 as a matter of fact 74 on being held up 89 it is always like this 83