Road

To Chandipada Chakraborty

(Translated by Rifat Munim)

If you go down that road

Once past the Kautali Bridge you’ll see

Houses built as best they could.

The air is thick with the smell of farmers, plows and oxen.

The river flows like the furrow appearing on the forehead of a farmer—

Vast green is this empire 

                 of sadness.

Hanging from the frame of the gourd vines

You’ll see the flag of a sari, all wet and blue.

The buzzing of flies satiate with the smell of dried fish.

You’ll see on the edge of Bhadugarh has bloomed

A pale korobi of dereliction

Still placing her trust on my spurious promises!

(Translation of “Raasta”)