Jai bollei hoina jaoa (One can’t ascertain going anywhere) by Ali Idris. Publisher : Begum Zahida Idris. Cover Design : Charu Pintoo. Price : Taka-100/, $5.00.
This anthology of poems by Ali Idris appears to have been well textured modern Bengali verses. Published recently, it has its popularity that the first edition is sold out and the 2nd Edition is on the sale. Though Ali Idris is a good hand in composing modern Bengali poems, he seems to be composing poems not so much as earlier. Professionally he is a civil engineer and educationist, the author of about sixteen engineering books. He has edited two books on stories along with his one fiction also. The poet is also the editor of the Karigar, the only Socio-Technological Journal, and the mouth piece of the IDEB, Dhaka.
However, one of the poems of this anthology under discussion is ‘The Pledge’. He was declared by the government as ‘Jatio Torun Kobi’ (National Young poet) in 1981 while the poem was published in the Bengali Daily Dainik Bangla on 22nd July, 1980.
The Pledge*
Ali Idris
This moon-lit night is over but you are yet to come
through this narrow meadow way with scented air
of Akond-Tulsi !
It’s your word that you’ll sow the tree on this soil
and throw the paddy of the New Year from the winnowing fan
on the muddy compound
and feed the ducks and hens with broken bits of rice
and sing Lalon song at Poush night
and you will be the queen-fisher on the rainy day…
Here the northern air reaches, and
calls of the Dowel -Shama are heard at times,
the Mou-Mou that smells all around,
and moon-lit night swam
across the grass-flowers
but you are yet to take interest in it!
As you lie down on this paddy field of that farmer
who will also come up to you with his scythe
in this great autumn night of your own
to take his accounts from you
extending his two hands…
The air makes the corn’s field billowing
like the waves of the sea
and that air will also go back to the Himalaya.
You might have been expecting of your man
that you walk along without any anxiety ;
the white- breasted kite flies in the sky
and continues shrilling agony.
But only I can show you the star-face of the golden crop.
I passed many a nights without sleep
on that desolate meadow way
I remain sitting with my tired body.
Come back, keep my words Labonya.
Open your waste clothes one by one and
purify the body by taking bath in the moon-lit night
and take paddy in the winnowing fan
and throw it on the meadow compound.
I shall give you this paddy field and the shades of nature
along with this meadow way in your name.
However, Ali Idris should cultivate Bengali literary works as he appears to be promising one. We wish him success in life onward. His poems appear to have been magically powerful towards enchanting the poetry readers. n
This anthology of poems by Ali Idris appears to have been well textured modern Bengali verses. Published recently, it has its popularity that the first edition is sold out and the 2nd Edition is on the sale. Though Ali Idris is a good hand in composing modern Bengali poems, he seems to be composing poems not so much as earlier. Professionally he is a civil engineer and educationist, the author of about sixteen engineering books. He has edited two books on stories along with his one fiction also. The poet is also the editor of the Karigar, the only Socio-Technological Journal, and the mouth piece of the IDEB, Dhaka.
However, one of the poems of this anthology under discussion is ‘The Pledge’. He was declared by the government as ‘Jatio Torun Kobi’ (National Young poet) in 1981 while the poem was published in the Bengali Daily Dainik Bangla on 22nd July, 1980.
The Pledge*
Ali Idris
This moon-lit night is over but you are yet to come
through this narrow meadow way with scented air
of Akond-Tulsi !
It’s your word that you’ll sow the tree on this soil
and throw the paddy of the New Year from the winnowing fan
on the muddy compound
and feed the ducks and hens with broken bits of rice
and sing Lalon song at Poush night
and you will be the queen-fisher on the rainy day…
Here the northern air reaches, and
calls of the Dowel -Shama are heard at times,
the Mou-Mou that smells all around,
and moon-lit night swam
across the grass-flowers
but you are yet to take interest in it!
As you lie down on this paddy field of that farmer
who will also come up to you with his scythe
in this great autumn night of your own
to take his accounts from you
extending his two hands…
The air makes the corn’s field billowing
like the waves of the sea
and that air will also go back to the Himalaya.
You might have been expecting of your man
that you walk along without any anxiety ;
the white- breasted kite flies in the sky
and continues shrilling agony.
But only I can show you the star-face of the golden crop.
I passed many a nights without sleep
on that desolate meadow way
I remain sitting with my tired body.
Come back, keep my words Labonya.
Open your waste clothes one by one and
purify the body by taking bath in the moon-lit night
and take paddy in the winnowing fan
and throw it on the meadow compound.
I shall give you this paddy field and the shades of nature
along with this meadow way in your name.
However, Ali Idris should cultivate Bengali literary works as he appears to be promising one. We wish him success in life onward. His poems appear to have been magically powerful towards enchanting the poetry readers. n
Review: M. Mizanur Rahman
