Songs of Lalon Phokir: 3
Translated from Bengali by
Carol Salomon
This time
search your own house.
The bird's nest is in the corner
of your eye.
It comes and goes
right by your hands.
In every house,
one bird:
It perches in the apartment
with a thousand rooms.
Its main room
is unreachable.
You cannot know it
when it goes there.
In the middle of a room
framed by mirrors
the bird sits,
full of joy.
Brother, can't you see?
You'll never catch it
just by stretching out your hands.
If you desire to see the bird,
I'm someone who knows the way
to show it. Darvish Siraj Sai says,
Lalon, it's taking days
to make you understand.
Published in Parabaas April 20, 2011
We thank Professor Joanna Kirkpatrick for sending us this translation by late Carol Salomon. We also thank Professor Richard Salomon to grant us permission to publish it in Parabaas.
Translated by
Carol Salomon.
Carol Salomon, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of ...
(more)
Illustrated by Nilanjana Basu. Nilanjana has been regularly illustrating for Parabaas. She is currently based in California.
Click here to send your feedback
*
To learn more about the ITRANS script for Bengali,
click here
.
| 
