I have a little experience of travelling the world.
I even don’t know how to jump
And never stood before a waterfall for real
But nowadays in my sleep
I’ve weird dreams, none of them happens
in the soil of my land
The night before last
I was drowning in the Victoria Fall in my dream
Did you think I was trying hard and fast to float?
I didn’t-how could I benefit?
I had my confidence in the laws of physics
when it comes to floating
how it works for matter and liquid
I knew I was drowning
I even didn’t throw my hands and feet
I was stoic
I was breathing the water in the fall
in my sleep
in the dream-
I was drowning.
I was trying but my memory didn’t help
the ‘kolemah’ I knew by heart
didn’t come to me
But I remember
I uttered your name three times
before I drowned.
* Translated from original (Bengali) to English by RAZIA SULTANA
The poem seems to talk about some ovrwhelming feelings that takes over the poet.He does not try to come out of it, rather surrenders as he says- - I was breathing the water in the fall In my sleep In my dream I was drowning. At that moment nothing he learnt previously was helping.Perhaps he was calling his savior or some one very dear before drowning..A lovely poem with a bit of mystery makes an interesting read.
ThankS a lot, dear poet! Really its an inspiring comment for me. And, they way of your analysis makes me astonished, how perfectly you can go to the deeper end! wisheS.
Entertaining piece. Travelling, drowning, sinking in memories and yet still able to utter a very special name!
Thanks for all the comments. Rahman Henry is the maker and I, Razia Pell (Razia Sultana) am the translator of the poem. Our combined efforts came as a success. Nice to know!
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
You describe yourself as stoic in the dream. As I read it I was terrified. And my terror was not of the horror movie variety. No! It was the quiet terror of witnessing your own death in a dream and not knowing if the dream is a random fear, a passing prophecy, an air bubble. I experienced a sustained moment of existential anxiety due to your powerful imagery. Even now the anxiety has passed but not the awareness it gave me.
You have made an important comment about this simple poem which will help me a lot, dear poet. Love and wishes.