poem 15 from Chhinno-bichchhinno
(কবিতা ১৫, 'ছিন্ন-বিচ্ছিন্ন')

Shakti Chattopadhyay

Translated from the original Bengali by
Bhismadev Chakrabarti



But it must have rained.
Many saw her wane in the harsh sun
                  Escape across the fields
                          Beyond humans, to rocks and moss, trees
                          Beyond gales, to a breeze, calm
                  There
But it must have rained.

The original poem 'Kabita 15' (কবিতা ১৫) was first collected in the book 'Chhinno-bichchhinno' ('Torn Pages') published by Ananda Publishers, Kolkata, in 1975. In 64 pages, this book contained 112 poems, including many very short poems and also segments of some incomplete poems of this famously bohemian poet.

Parabaas, June, 2014

Illustrated by Ananya Das. Author of several books and an illustrator, Ananya Das is based in Pennsylvania.