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Amalkanti

 

Amalkanti is my friend

We were classmate in the school

He used to come late in the class

Could not prepare his lessons

When asked the meaning a word

He would stare at the window

        so amazed that

We took pine of it.

Some of us wanted to be teachers     

Some doctors, some pleaders

Amalkanti had no such desire

He wanted to be the sunshine

The docile sunshine in a

        rain-paused afternoon

With the call of crows

On the foliage of Jam and Jamrul

As if – a skim of gentle smile.

Some of us have become teachers

Some doctors, some pleaders

Amalkanti failed to be the sunshine

Now a days he works in a

        printing house

He comes to meet me occasionally

Takes tea talks casually

Finally says, “Now I shall go”.....

I follow him upto the gate.

Among us, the one who now

        is a teacher

Might become a doctor with an effort

The one, who wanted to be a doctor

Would incur no major loss

        becoming a pleader

In fact – we all could fulfill

         our desires

With the exception……..Amalkanti!

Amalkanti could not become

        the sunshine

That very Amalkanti – musing on

- on and on for the sunshine

The one,  who wanted only to be 

.........the sunshine.

_______

Jam – rose apple.

Jamrul – a variety of a greenish-white juicy fruit.

 

NB

'Amalkanti' is a popular Bengali poem by Nirendranath Chakraborty. Apparently it may occur that there is nothing in it. But if someone reads the poem twice, I am sure at least for a while he will/she will be unmindful. I have only translated the poem.

Photo: By Suvam  

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