Poetry

On a winter noon

Shamsur Rahman
On that winter noon
We were in no hurry to wash or eat;
Sinking your body in a crimson sofa
You were reading Schopenhauer. I dragged myself here
Shunning old habits and lethargy,
Suddenly, you were looking at me with a soft gaze
And said something hazy was drawing you closer. Then came the trolley of snacks
The tea-cups full to the brim,
And you smiled in a way
That matched perfectly. We live in two worlds
The veiled images come and go;
Which world is more real?
I was engrossed in contemplation. This world is merely a notion, and
Focusing on the duality of will
I became absorbed on that winter noon;
I lay buried in silence. Then, in this heart of mine,
The cheerful cherries of desire started to bloom,
When your eyes caught mine
I said, 'Have you read John Ashberry'? Suddenly, there cropped up inside me
A cloud-piercing sunlight, an insatiable hunger;
With your well-shaped body you said
'Please wait, let me bring out Pablo Neruda'. 'No, not now please, instead
Put your hands in mine';
Saying this, I sang from Sudhindranath
With the voice of an ageless spirit. The pangs of duality rang in my heart,
What more could I want?
From the covers of Penguin
Schopenhauer gazed on very intensely. (Translation: Helal Uddin Ahmed)