AMALKANTI
Translated
from Bengali by Saikat Guha
Amalkanti
is my friend,
We were
classmates during our school days.
He used to
arrive late everyday; he never prepared his studies,
If the
teacher asked him about forms of words
He looked
at the window in such a vacant gaze that
We felt
sorry for him.
We wished
to be either teacher, doctor, or lawyer.
Amalkanti
didn’t wish to be anything.
He dreamed
of becoming sunrays!
The shy
beams of Sun in rain-struck crow-sung afternoon,
Which
touches the leaves of berries
Like a
tender smile.
We’ve
become teacher, doctor, or lawyer.
Amalkanti
couldn’t become the sunrays.
Now he
works in a dark printing-press.
He often
pays a visit to me;
He takes
tea, passes time in idle gossip
And says,
“Bye, then!”
I bid him
farewell cordially.
The friend
who is a teacher now
Could have
easily become a doctor;
The other
who wished to be a doctor
Could have
become a lawyer without any mistake.
But,
everyone’s dream came true, except Amalkanti.
Amalkanti
couldn’t become the sunrays.
That
amalkanti, who thinking about the sunrays
Days after
days,
Wished to
become the sunrays himself one day!
What I
Feel
The
poem talks about the funny dreams of a happy-go-lucky boy who wished to become
the sunrays! Behind this apparent incongruity, however, lies an important
fact--a free individual's dream of leading his life according to his own
choice. But this society cares not about the dreams or free will of an
individual; rather encourages the conventional way of living. The poem
beautifully grasps the futile dreams and pitiable present condition of
Amalkanti who wished a 'sunny' life but now works in a dark printing-press.
