Fragrantsnake Poem by Pradip Saikia

A.
A vermilion smeared married woman said amidst trilling
Move a step inside water and garland it
I said in murmur
Smearing vermilion on the blood stained image
Of the unsheathed sword

Swearing in the name of thunder
Here I bequeath you

After a flock of screeching owl have fluttered away
The night changed colour
Rinsing its wings in the ashtray

Two men entered wading through waters
Playing shehnai

A red finger in the bouquet said
Sangha got married

B.
When the sword will slash me up
In the light emitted by two pearls
Severed from the petiole

When the fragrant snake
Devouring me from the leg upwards
Will touch my bangles
Will incinerate my paper house very tenderly
All of you will neigh
All of you will dance
Poking fingers at each others eyes
You will thump your forehead
On the stones of river Gondaki
On Saalgram

After many rainy seasons
You will tell a Siju tree
Sangha, this is what we call drama

# Translated from Assamese to English by: Bibekananda Chowdhury