Akashe Aaj Choriye Delam Priyo (I sprinkle in the sky) by Nazrul has been translated from Bengali by Professor Fakrul Alam
Dearest, I sprinkle in the sky my lyrics this day —
Flowers produced by my words—
A song garland, I’ve woven on my own!
Pick it up if you can, please.
Let my tune’s rainbow be a short-lived joy
Orchestrating my sense of loveliness
And embodying through its colors passion’s sweetness.
What does it matter if you fail to note in my eyelids
The tears moistening them?
My voice quavers because of my tears!
Spreading across the lotus that is my heart,
Lyrics make the round, wailing like a bee in flight.
Do taste if you can from that bee my mind’s loveliness!
Listen to the song in Bengali performed by the late Feroza Begum by clicking here.
Born in united Bengal, long before the Partition, Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899-1976) was known as the Bidrohi Kobi, or “rebel poet”. Nazrul is now regarded as the national poet of Bangladesh though he continues a revered name in the Indian subcontinent. In addition to his prose and poetry, Nazrul wrote about 4000 songs.
Fakrul Alam is an academic, translator and writer from Bangladesh. He has translated works of Jibonananda Das and Rabindranath Tagore into English and is the recipient of Bangla Academy Literary Award (2012) for translation and SAARC Literary Award (2012).
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