Prabal Kumar Basu [India]

 

Things remained unsaid

 
Each time I return from you
I feel something has remained unsaid
 
It’s not that it was something important
Nor even it was regarding you or me
But after coming back, I felt as if
Something remained unsaid
At a point of time I could nolonger recall
What was to be said, what hadn’t been said
 
At times I feel that
Much more remained unsaid than what was said
What remained unsaid
Must have been unworthy of saying
 
(Translation from Bengali by Barnali Roy)
 
 
In Search for the Perfect Word
 
I can’t finish my poem in absence of the perfect word
The right word which would mirror my thoughts
The word which can alleviate my restlessness
I can breathe easily then
 
 
In absence of this elusive word
I could never finish my poems
Only unfinished ones fill the pages
In want of the perfect word
I could never ever profess love
 
(Translation from Bengali by Barnali Roy)
 
 
Your story
 
I wanted to hear the whole story
But every time you left it unfinished
That’s absurd
 
Every time you started narrating the story
It somehow didn’t get beyond the middle of the fly over
Till the flyover your story was attractive like the silence
The complete story was something to look forward to
 
There was no glance of a river in your story
No bird song, neither rain
But still I liked it as it had potential to fascinate
When night fell some chapters emanated strong winds
A salty smell, maybe the sea was close by
Still you would stop at the same juncture
May be your story actually ended there
 
Even though the beginning was appealing
A middle class story doesn’t go beyond the middle of the flyover
I took a lot of time to realize this
 
(Translation from Bengali by Barnali Roy)
 
  
Things remained unsaid
 
Each time I return from you
I feel something has remained unsaid
 
It’s not that it was something important
Nor even it was regarding you or me
But after coming back, I felt as if
Something remained unsaid
At a point of time I could no longer recall
What was to be said, what hadn’t been said
 
At times I feel that
Much more remained unsaid than what was said
What remained unsaid
Must have been unworthy of saying
 
(Translation from Bengali by Barnali Roy)

 
Author’s Bionote:

*Prabal Kumar Basu: An important name in post independent Bengali Poetry. Prabal has Twenty two volumes of poetry books to his credit till date. He also has a collection of verse drama , Six collections of essays and three collections of short stories to his credit. He has five collections of his poems translated into English and one collection of poems translated into Spanish and published from Mexico. Apart from these Prabal edits Yapanchitra (www.yapanchitra.org) a noted little magazine on Art Literature and culture. He is the Chairman and founder trustee of  Kolkata International Foundation for Arts Literature and Culture, an organization formed by leading intellectuals of Kolkata. He is also the Chairperson of the noted Theatre group Sandarva. He was also one of the editors of the theatre magazine “Anya the Other” published by the Theatre group Anya Theatre. Also co-edited with Sunil Gangopadhyay special issues of  noted little magazine “Krittibas”. Edited “SIGNPOSTS”, an anthology of Bengali Poetry since independence, in English translation, the only comprehensive anthology of Bengali poetry available in English. Participated in various national and international Literary Festivals including festivals in Tokyo , Newzealand , Iraq , Egypt, USA and Mexico . His poems have also been translated into various Indian and foreign languages. Was invited in Writers in Residency program by The President of India in 2017 to stay at Raisina Hills (President’s Palace ) for two weeks as President’s guest. Receiptent of Gouri Bhattacharjee memorial award for his first book of poem ‘Tumeei Pratham’. Recipient of State academy award for poetry for his poetry book ‘Jamon kore gaiche akaash’ in 2005. Prabal is based out of Kolkata, India.