Slowly, steadily
(ধীরে ধীরে যেভাবেই হোক)

Shakti Chattopadhyay

Translated from the original Bengali by
Nandini Gupta



Slowly, steadily, no matter how
I will change
man with man tree with tree
main door, nook cranny
I will make changes
I’ll change it all.
Slowly steadily, no matter how
I will change
tattered bloomers, fists broken to the elbow.
I will make changes.
I will go
where the slippery lane covers
its gaping face under plain clothes.
I’ll go and see
If there plays a tune setting river banks afloat,
In which land dwells revolution—the new woman of today.
No matter how I will make changes
I’ll change it all.


The original poem 'Dheere dheere jebhabei hok' (ধীরে ধীরে যেভাবেই হোক) was included in the book 'Hemanter aranya ami postman', (হেমন্তের অরণ্যে আমি পোস্টম্যান) published in March 1969 by Aruna Prakashani (অরুণা প্রকাশনী).

Parabaas, October, 2020

Illustrated by Nilanjana Basu. Nilanjana has been regularly illustrating for Parabaas. She is currently based in California.