Wind, Where Have You Disappeared? Poem by Jahir Hasan

the magician, from within the ear, shall
conjure an elephant, so i await

white rice on the plate
nowshall fryand eat some brinjal chunks,i await
awaiting dubai dough from my son
with that, ah, to die after devouring a hilsa huge
in the debdaru tree near the graveyard
that bulbuli's self-crafted song i have smeared my face with
holding it up
so that it does not slough clumsy into the bog

let the wind come dancing, by and by
on its back shall i slowly let adrift the song…

Translated by PRASANTA CHAKRAVARTY