Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Special Feature Collaborative Translation Poem--Naba Kumar Dey and Partha Chatterjee--India

Kodal
By Naba Kumar Dey (Bengali)

Kalom ta hothat kodal hoa galo
Ami Kamon jeno Boshivuto.
Kodaler echhei mati khurchhi.
ARO jore hat chalao
Ke jeno nirdesh dichhe.
Khurei cholechi...
Kintu Keno?
Ami kobi. Amar kodal noi, Kalom chai.
Abar sei akashbani
Vonita chharo
Ar kichhu lekhar nei tomader
Sovyatar kobor proshasto karo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spade

By Partha Chatterjee (English translation)

My soft pen
accustomed to create love sonnets
has been transformed into a spade.
And it is all on a sudden.
This spade compels me to dig the ground.
Under the spell of this magic spade
I am digging and digging.

But why?
I am poet.
I need a pen, not a spade.

Then the Oracle is heard.

Dear poet, you have nothing to write more...
you have to dig the ground
either to plant a sapling
Or to prepare graveyard for the
civilization.
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15 comments:

  1. UnknownMay 29, 2018 at 11:39 PM

    Fine poem by the poet. Fine translation by Partha Chatterjee.

    Stefanie Bennett

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  2. UnknownMay 29, 2018 at 11:55 PM

    Without poetry our world would be bereft. Fallow times, allows us to reflect, then we are renewed. Thank you for sharing this. Annie

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  3. UnknownMay 30, 2018 at 12:07 AM

    Bravo, hat a fabulous collaboration - love the translation:-) regards Jan

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  4. Jack HorneMay 30, 2018 at 2:44 AM

    always nice to see work in a different language - lovely words indeed

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  5. David FoxMay 30, 2018 at 2:59 AM

    Kaba and Parthha,
    A great poem in translation
    ~Davidf

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  6. Arthur TurfaMay 30, 2018 at 3:06 AM

    A time to write, a time to prepare for writing. It's the same the world over, as this fine poem shows. Thanks!

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  7. P K PadhyMay 30, 2018 at 4:53 AM

    A thoughtful and poignant poem.

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  8. pdfrenchMay 30, 2018 at 6:55 AM

    Interesting piece, thanks for sharing it!

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  9. UnknownMay 30, 2018 at 9:00 AM

    I love the last lines!

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  10. UnknownMay 30, 2018 at 10:24 AM

    Dear Naba and Partha,

    How wonderful does your collaboration work out. The original sounds like a powerful write and the translation proves it.
    Thank you both for sharing.

    Best wishes,
    Inge

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  11. UnknownMay 30, 2018 at 4:50 PM

    Interesting writing and thought direction....
    Good translation.

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  12. Anne CurranMay 30, 2018 at 7:29 PM

    Very interesting. Powerful. This poem will sit with me for some time
    as I mull its meanings.

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  13. UnknownMay 30, 2018 at 7:57 PM

    Thank you all for your kind support

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  14. Leslie DeLucaMay 31, 2018 at 7:02 PM

    A lot of thought has gone into that poem and the translation is equally as impressive; I feel compelled to read this over and over again and will most assuredly do as such. Thank you both for this riveting piece of writing.

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  15. Creative InspirationsJune 1, 2018 at 6:46 AM

    Naba and Partha,

    A beautiful collaboration that works well together. Thanks to both of you for sharing it with us here at Whispers. Continued blessings to you both!

    -MJ
    (www.creativeinspirationspp.blogspot.com)

    ReplyDelete

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