Translated by Mohammad Shafiqul Islam
My Identity
I was born in this Bengal
I speak in Bengali
Keeping my mark on the soft alluvial soil,
I’ve traversed bright paths of this land for a thousand years.
Thirteen hundred rivers ask me: Where are you from?
I’ve indeed come from the letters of Charjapad
From the merchants’ fleets of boats.
I’ve come from the village of rebellious subalterns
From the artwork of Pala era.
I’ve come from Paharpur’s Buddhist Vihara
From the temple altar of joint Bengal.
I’ve come from the golden mosque of Varendra
From Bengal’s shrine of disheveled bauls.
I’ve indeed come from sovereign Baro Bhuiyan
From ‘Kamala’s Dighi’ and ‘Mohua’s Pala’.
I’ve come from Titumir and Hazi Shariat
From Gitanjali and Agnibina.
I’ve come from Khudiram and Surja Sen
From Zainul and Abanindranath Tagore.
I’ve come from red streets of Language Movement
From Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
I’ve come from the fiery slogan of ‘Joi Bangla’
From the Liberation War of 1971.
I’ve come keeping behind a thousand footsteps
Ask me, “What inspiration led you this far?”
Then you haven’t heard of the history of Bengali nation—
“There’s no higher truth than human beings.”
We’re together and shall remain together forever
Eradicating all conflicts, we’ll draw images of equality.
A Bengali, I have a history to be proud of—
I never fear brandishing swords.
I’ve fought against enemies, lived with dreams;
I’ve honed weapons, cultivated crops too;
With the same smiling face, I’ve piped a flute
And welcome hanging ropes;
Never have we compromised—this is our history.
I’ll forget the history today—am I such a son?
Never, because father of our nation is Sheikh Mujibur Rahman;
Inspired by his history, I walk on the paths of Bengal—
Blue skies in my eyes, conviction in heart,
And fertile silt under my feet.
——————–
Human Being
You’ve washed your feet with filthy water, so what’ll you do?
I’ve almost cut the nipples kissing the covered breasts.
Words desire Vatsyayan’s copulation,
I’ve known both literal and connotative meanings.
When will you wash my body with filthy water?
When shall I walk to you?
My mind is stuck with the thought, but time passes so fast!
In you, I’ve found a sacred continent
and a stream of water –
Is it then called the human being whom love?
——————–
Mohammad Shafiqul Islam teaches English at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh.
Illustration : Najib Tareque
