Some
old men of my village
I
knew
in
childhood, they belonged
To
the clan of dinosaurs, hugely built
Moving
like demons of fairy tales,
Breathing
hard, and sinking down
On
the low verandah of the outer hall
Or
squatting on the grassy plot in front,
Particularly
in summer, I remember,
After
a day’s labour in the fields
And
before returning to their crowded
Quarters,
westward in the village
The
solemn hall, lofty, overlooking
Open
fields, its deep hempen roof,
The
lawn green-grassed, from where
If
you looked, your vision touched
The
distant village nestling close
To
horizon ; On summer eyes, these men
Rested
their tired limbs on the soothing grass.
Their
bared skin thick and wrinkled
Like
buffalo’s, bare, broad feet
That
seldom knew the shelter of shoes
And
only rarely on festive days,
On
weddings, Sabbaths or in prayer-groups
The
wooden sandals knew the weight
On
their hefty trunks ; and later when
In
monsoon the Nabaganga swelled
Signaling
the start of busy ferrying
Of
people in frail palmyra rafts,
These
barely kept aloft, under
The
single wright of these our men.
If
now –a days I chance to visit
My
native village, I look around,
I
do not see them, the dinosaur clan,
Rather
their progeny, poor petty souls
All
cased in little shriveled bodies,
Bent
backs, walking field ward
In
small steps, eating cold rice
Of
yester night. And on market days
Crossing
the shaky bamboo-bridge
In
steps light as a hopping bird’s
And
Eid and Bakereed days,
As
hugging and embracings start
These
our men, their brittle frames
Kept
hidden under gowny shirts, ---
Yield
fearfully to friendly hug,
These
men, the progeny of our elders.
Translated
by poet
Zillur
Rahman Siddiqui: (1928-) Poet and researcher. Poetry: Hridaye
Janapade (1975), chand Dube Gele (1984), Asanna Bastille (1988). Research :
Shabder Simana (1976), Bangalir Atmaporichay (1991), Probase Protidin
(1994).Bangla Probandha Parichay (1986), bangla Academy English- Bengali
Dictionary (1993). Awards : Alaol Literary Award-1977, Bangla Academy-1979.