(Translated by Rifat Munim)
I sing with algae wound around my ears
Even the brown shalik birds know of my chains
Maybe that’s why when it rained
Perching on my floor they yawned
Dance they will, before leaving, when the sun is up
Then they will find their food, sinking their beaks into the grass
I sing with algae wound around my ears
Even the bright shoals of fish know of my perils
Maybe that’s why on the threads of some fisherman’s net
They stayed with me
When hit by the waves they will leave swaying from side to side
Down the rivers toward the sea
Do the sly fishermen know of me and my perils as well?
Suraiya Khanom was a poet and writer. She was a professor of English at Dhaka University. She died in 2006.