Sanaul Huq

 

Peace

 

 

Peace for you and me

Is that a small pond of clear water,

A village tucked far away,

Laughter of the children, cooing of the dove

And chirping of the cicada ? Is that the trembling

                                                                    night

As blue as your eyes,

Brimful and crystalline ? In other words,

Shadow of the chignon, a flight

Of green parakeet, a mosque

In a sleepy village. Yet accursed

We are picking the grains from the dust

Like contented crows.

 

I remember the painting

Of the close and intimate wings of dove

Who cares if costly or not ?

I know that you and I and they

Belong to one world,

Surnames may differ;

They may not even be human

But surely not inorganic.

To live with the righteous

I say, is a curse.

 

 

 

Sanaul Huq (1924-) Poet, Translator, Essayist and Writer of Travelogue and Juvenile Literature. Poetry : Nodi o Manusher Kovita (1956), Surja Anyataro (1963), Sambhaba Ananya (1962), Bichurna Arshite (1968), Padmini Shankhini (1976), Juvenile Literature : Chhele Buror Chhara (1961), Putul Sainik . Translation : Pastarnaker Kovita (1965), Ivan Galler Premer Kovita (1971), Essay : Ichchhabapti Ananda (1972), Travelogue : Bandar Theke Bandare (1964), Awards : Sitara–e–Quaid-e-Azam Award –1964, Bangla Academy Award –1969, Ekushe Padak –1983.