On monsoon nights does your poet come to your mind,
Arundhoti,
The fragrance of the afternoon in your hair-knot
Effaced by the damp light
Does it, does it come to your mind,
Arundhoti?
Poetry obscure to the moonlight, clouds, affection, grief
The cupid clogs of our dreams shattered within us
Do they come to your mind,
Arundhoti?
Do they come to your mind,
The pearls in the grass
The numerous moons of slender fingers
In the clouds of hair,
(The sea wasn’t there for the tides!)
Even in the ice-cold touch
What tranquillity!
Arundhoti
Arundhoti,
A transient nest of the thunderbird
Which has flown past numerous skies?
Amid the overcrowding of slumbers
Which have passed numerous dreams
Save that single sleepless night ?
Do they come to your mind,
Arundhoti?
Nabakanta Barua (29 December 1926 – 14 July 2002) was a prominent Assamese novelist and poet. He was also known as Ekhud Kokaideu. As Sima Dutta he wrote many poems in his early life. He also won the following awards
1974: Assam Prakashan Parisod Award, Mur aru Prithibir
1975: Sahitya Akademi Award to Assamese Writers, Kokadeutar Har
Following is a translation I did, for compare and contrast.
A Love Lyric
Do you remember an inn, Miranda?
— Hilaire Belloc
When it rains at night, do you remember
Your poet, Arundhati?
Revived in the damp light
The evening-scent of your hair-bun
Do you remember,
Arundhati?
In moonlit cloud happy sorrow
Incomprehensible poetry,
Between us measureless barriers of broken dreams
Do you remember, Arundhati!
Pearls of moonbeam on grass blades,
In cloud-hair many a moons of lissom fingers
(For tide, there was no sea!)
Even in that frozen touch like ice
What bliss!
Arundhati!
Arundhati!
A moment’s nest for the storm-bird
Who arrived crossing many a skies —
That just one
Sleepless night
Which arrived crossing many a dreams
Among the crowded naps —
Do you remember, Arundhati?
Do you remember the rainy night
Arundhati?
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