Flooded
by moonlight
The
entire meadow has become a vast lake.
Art
thou, o tree, a messenger of peace ?
A
gentle breeze blows over the green carpet of grass
Bending
the blades of corn low
Like
a gracious host welcoming his guests with a bow.
There
are no cruel blows anywhere,
Only
tender invitation all around.
In
such a silence as this
Hostile
loneliness shrinks in fear,
And
you hear all about you
Only
the soundless greeting of
“Come in, come in, Please.”
Come,
let us go the ritual bathing
In
this glorious lake of moonlight.
Tonight
there is room for many a soul
In
my heart.
I
want the whole world to take part
In
my joy,
To
come and sit at my table,
I
want to share my meal with all.
It
matters little if one is a friend
Or
a total stranger.
A
meadow has no doors, you know.
So
come one and all.
Moonlight
has lit up a fall of fire,
The
fire of love.
It
has no heat,
Only
warmth of affection,
And
a longing to embrace all
in its fold.
Imbecile
man, you have warred for too long.
For
long you have trekked
the blood-soaked path.
But
how far have you got to ?
You
have incarnadined your hand
With
your brother’s blood ;
Sometimes
you have even looked
At
your own visage
In
the blood of you’re your father.
Your
friend is no longer a friend of yours,
love
is no longer love.
Your
skyscrapers, your wide main roads
Are
mere external glitter.
Underneath
your cloths, man
What
are you really ?
How
much of humanity is there ?
How
much of life ?
So
many Lebanons have gone up ash heap !
How
long more would you rattle
Your arms
And
try to make your mark thus ?
The
fire of your anger has burnt in to cinders
All
that is good and beautiful.
Can’t
you look into the mirror
And
see your own face there
Trembling
in fear ?
Throughout
the world, fear has gripped
Everybody’s
heart and devoured all.
Where
did you err, man,
That
after building such a colourful history
You
have now reached a point
Where
you find no fixity
But
meet at every corner constant uncertainty
And
fear of death ?
How
many Lebanons have gone up in flames
And
turned into an ash heap !
Poisoned
by fierce discord,
The
bright hopes of man turn dark and dismal,
While
the flag of the saint
Flies
on one side of the road
You
shink along your crafty way.
The
eternally voyaging fleet knows everything.
It
only knows not how to steer clear of the hidden
rock.
Because
of your fault, man.
You
carry on your shoulder
The
cross f death.
To
save the stag you kill the lion
On
hearing the frightened shriek
You
throttle the terrifying roar ;
You
kill beastly strength and save beauty.
You
have built all these terrible trifling things.
You
are the lord of life
And
yet you are a killer.
The
evil mirror has captured in it
All
that is good and beautiful.
In
order to stop hilling
You
only pile death upon death.
How
May Lebanons have gone up in flames
And
turned in to an ash heap!
Come,
then, O eternal man.
Wash
your heart in white moonlight,
Leave
behind you your born enemy,
the
bloodthirsty beast.
Come,
let us go once for all
Beyond
the pale of killing.
Let
not the display of arms
But
graceful conduct proclaim your name and
heritage
Tell
us who is your brother
And
who your sister.
There
is no throne else
but a clean breast,
You
have fought for long ;
You
have razed to the ground
Many a Lebanon.
Now
moonlight has lit up the fire of love ;
There
is only one language now,
The
language of love.
Now
let us make it our weapon
And
sweep away all that is dismal and dark.
Sorrow,
I will not say farewell to you.
Grief,
suffering, old age, death, cruel separation
No,
I will not ask any of you either
To
go away.
Only
killing, you be gone !
And
take away with you the bitter poison from
the
air.
Many
a happy home has been destroyed ;
Now
let white peace reign
In
the lake of moonlight ;
Let
pure love live
In
the heart of brothers and sisters.
Killing,
only you be gone !
Translated by Kabir Chowdhury
Hasan
Hafizur Rahman
(1932—1983)
Poet,
Essaist, Journalist and Story writer. Poetry : Bimukh Prantar (1963), Arta
Shabdabali (1968), Jakhan Udyata Sangin (1972), Bajre Chera Andhar Amar (1976),
Shokarta Tarbari ( 1982), Amar Bhetorer Bagh (1983). Essay : Adhunik Kovi o
Kovita (1965), Mulyabodher Janye(1970), Sahitya Prosango (1973), Story : Aro
Duti Mrityu (1970). Awards : Bangla Academy Award-1971, Adamjee Award –1967,
Alakta Literary Award-1981.