A bulk of translated poems of Nilim Kumar
THE MAN
Translated by: Bibekananda Chaudhuri
The
man is sitting on his chair
man is sitting on his chair
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
The
chair is sitting on the verandah
chair is sitting on the verandah
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
The
curtains of the house of the man is ruffled by the wind
curtains of the house of the man is ruffled by the wind
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
Aroad passes by in front of the verandah
Men
and women are passing by walking over the road
and women are passing by walking over the road
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
Children
and beggers are passing by walking over the road
and beggers are passing by walking over the road
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
Some
people are hurrying, some are walking leisurely
people are hurrying, some are walking leisurely
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
Cars
and cycles are passing by walking over the road
and cycles are passing by walking over the road
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
Dogs
are passing by walking over the road
are passing by walking over the road
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
The
electric conductors are swayed by the wind
electric conductors are swayed by the wind
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
The
leaves on the trees are ruffled by the breeze
leaves on the trees are ruffled by the breeze
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
Birds
are flying flapping its wings
are flying flapping its wings
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
Rats
are sneaking in and out of the drains under the footpath
are sneaking in and out of the drains under the footpath
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
The
banners in the city are flapping in the wing
banners in the city are flapping in the wing
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
A
dustbin is seen a little farther
dustbin is seen a little farther
The
dustbin is also not stirring a bit
dustbin is also not stirring a bit
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
The
dustbin is also not stirring a bit
dustbin is also not stirring a bit
The
man is not stirring a bit
man is not stirring a bit
The
dustbin too
dustbin too
The
man too
man too
The
dustbin too
dustbin too
The
man too
man too
The
dustbin too
dustbin too
The
man too
man too
Would
the man move
the man move
If
the dustbin does
the dustbin does
SOME
PEOPLE
PEOPLE
Translated by: Bibekananda Chaudhuri
Some
people move slowly
people move slowly
Some
people move with speed
people move with speed
Some
people can just let go of some things
people can just let go of some things
Some
people stick to certain things
people stick to certain things
Some
people have their houses full
people have their houses full
Some
people have their houses empty
people have their houses empty
Some
people do not fight with memory
people do not fight with memory
Some
people fight with memory
people fight with memory
Some
people make space for others from their share
people make space for others from their share
Some
people snatch space from others
people snatch space from others
Though
the box may be full of laughter
the box may be full of laughter
Some
people cry the entire life
people cry the entire life
Though
the box may be full of sorrow
the box may be full of sorrow
Some
people laugh the entire life
people laugh the entire life
Some
people think teardrops are beautiful
people think teardrops are beautiful
Some
people think laughter is beautiful
people think laughter is beautiful
Some
people speak in high pitch
people speak in high pitch
Some
people speak in low pitch
people speak in low pitch
The
one speaking in low pitch is not weak
one speaking in low pitch is not weak
Neither
the one speaking in high pitch is strong
the one speaking in high pitch is strong
Some
people lie in everything they speak
people lie in everything they speak
They
get caught when they speak the truth
get caught when they speak the truth
Some
people never speak a lie
people never speak a lie
They
get caught when they speak a lie
get caught when they speak a lie
Some
people are blessed with deep sleep
people are blessed with deep sleep
Some
people suffer from sleeplessness
people suffer from sleeplessness
Some
people move slowly
people move slowly
Some
people move with speed
people move with speed
At
the time of proceeding to death bed
the time of proceeding to death bed
The
slow ones move fast
slow ones move fast
At
the time of proceeding to death bed
the time of proceeding to death bed
The
fast ones move slowly
fast ones move slowly
Among
these two kinds
these two kinds
There
are some
are some
Who
are in-between
are in-between
Among
which of the some
which of the some
Do
you fall?
you fall?
AGE
Translated by: Bibekananda Chaudhuri
Hills
are elder to me by count of age
are elder to me by count of age
I
bow to thee
bow to thee
Rivers
are elder to me by count of age
are elder to me by count of age
I
bow to thee
bow to thee
Rocks
are elder to me by count of age
are elder to me by count of age
I
bow to thee
bow to thee
Woods
are elder to me by count of age
are elder to me by count of age
I
bow to thee
bow to thee
The
sky is elder to me by count of age
sky is elder to me by count of age
I
bow to thee
bow to thee
The
Sun is elder to me
Sun is elder to me
The
Moon and the Stars are elder to me
Moon and the Stars are elder to me
I
bow to the Sun-the Moon and the stars
bow to the Sun-the Moon and the stars
Grandfather
taught me
taught me
To
bow to the elders
bow to the elders
Father
taught me
taught me
To
bow to the elders
bow to the elders
The
teachers taught
teachers taught
To
bow to the elders
bow to the elders
My
mother too taught my daughter
mother too taught my daughter
To
bow to the elders
bow to the elders
When
today I
today I
Driven
by the passion of building a new house
by the passion of building a new house
When
I demolished the house
I demolished the house
That
was built by my grandfather
was built by my grandfather
Even
before my father was born
before my father was born
My
daughter asked my
daughter asked my
Father
Was
this house younger to you?
this house younger to you?
GOOD
MAN
MAN
Translated
by: Upal Gageb
by: Upal Gageb
When
I meet a good man,
I meet a good man,
I
‘m touched, lingering agonies that sit upon him
‘m touched, lingering agonies that sit upon him
I
hug him, feel how deep down he will drown.
hug him, feel how deep down he will drown.
I
run my hand on his back, where dark wind
run my hand on his back, where dark wind
Lashes
a whip
a whip
Amazed
I keep on looking at his lips
I keep on looking at his lips
Lips
that will be stilled in cruel faithlessness and
that will be stilled in cruel faithlessness and
I
clutch at his hand that’s filled with many error-stain,
clutch at his hand that’s filled with many error-stain,
Stains
soaked up in modesty
soaked up in modesty
I
‘m touched,
‘m touched,
Insomnia
snares him
snares him
Toothache
stings him
stings him
His
children pester him
children pester him
Neighbors
grudge him
grudge him
The
driver cheats him,
driver cheats him,
Friends
taunt him
taunt him
He’s
not a good buyer, he brings rotten potato
not a good buyer, he brings rotten potato
And
a monster named WANT chases him down
a monster named WANT chases him down
A
good man dies in, an instant or lives breath by breath
good man dies in, an instant or lives breath by breath
It’s
a good feeling if you meet a good man
a good feeling if you meet a good man
For
he alone can smile the most beautiful smile.
he alone can smile the most beautiful smile.
(Editorial Note: Nilim Kumar is a mainstream
Assamese prominent poet, best known for his experimentalist verses. Nilim Kumar
was born in 1962, at Pathsala, a small town of Assam. He has 17 collections of
poems and three novels.)