LIŠĆE

Lišće pada, pada cijeli dan… lišće

Baka mete
i skuplja više od lišća

Je li ovo čudo, kako ga zovete –
nešto više od lišća
koje baka sakuplja, i sakuplja
Noć se gomila sa lišćem

Noćas će biti vatrometa
Ljudi će zagrijati svoja tijela
i osušiti svoje rane

Iracionalna susjedstva će se natrpati
Uporni razgovori će se raspaliti
zagrijavajući se do azurnog neba

zagrijavajući se do neba punog zvijezda

Naporni teret
udaje svojih kćeri ispraće se
U svakoj kući biće svadbe
Nježna zima meka kao usna djeteta, poslijepodne u sariju
objesiće makrame na granama smeđeg drveta

Baka skuplja sve ovo –
blagoslove persijskog ljiljana, svete motive,
filigranske listove,

čisto selo
gdje su djevojke nevezane

Lišće pada cijeli dan, lišće pada cijele godine…

Translated to Montenegrin by Anđela Turukalo Dabetić
…………………………………………..

LEAVES

Jhelum Tribedi

English translation by Moulinath Goswami.

The leaves fall, they fall all day… leaves

grandma sweeps
and gathers more than leaves

Is this wonder, that you call –
Something more than leaves
the grandmother gathers, and gathers
The night piles up with leaves

There’ll be a bonfire tonight
people will warm their bodies
and dry their wounds…

The irrational neighbourhood shall throng
dogged discussions fire up
warming up to the azure

warming up to the sky filled stars…

The arduous burden
of marrying off their daughters shall wash away
There will be weddings in every house
tender winter soft as a child’s lip, the latent afternoon-saree
shall hang macramé from the branches of the brownish tree

The grandma gathers all these –
blessings of Persian lilac, holy motifs
filigreed leaves,

A chaste thorp
where girls are unchained

leaves fall all day, leaves fall throughout the year…

*****

পলতাপাতা

ঝিলম ত্রিবেদী
……………………………

পাতা খসে, সারাদিন পাতা খসে পাতা…

ঠাকুরমা ঝাঁট দেয়
জড়ো করে পাতার অধিক কিছু

একে কি বিস্ময় বলে?

পাতার অধিক এই কিছু
জড়ো করে ঠাকুরমা, জড়ো করে, সারারাত ভরে ওঠে পাতা

রাত্রে আগুন হবে
সেঁকবে শরীর আর ঘা
মানুষেরা

রাত্রে আগুন হবে স্থির আলোচনা
বসবে অবুঝপারা পাড়া
পোহাবে আকাশিরঙ

পোহাবে আকাশময়ী তারা

ভেসে যাবে কন্যাদায়
সকলের ঘরে বিয়ে হবে
শিশুর ঠোঁটের মতো কচি শীত, নিহিত দুপুর-শাড়ি
বাদামি গাছের ডালে, ডালে ডালে, ঝালর ঝোলাবে

এ ই স ব
জড়ো করে ঠাকুরমা
পাতার উপর কারুপাতা
আলপনা জড়ো করে, ঘোড়ানিম গাছের আশিস

পাড়াটি পুণ্যবতী
মেয়েরা শিকলহীন হেথায়

পাতা খসে সারাবেলা, বারোমাস পাতা খসে যায়…

**********

To put is very simply, I am a poet. Nothing but a poet. This is my only vocation, occupation. Writing poetry is the objective of my existence. But then I write for other people too – marginalised people, who exist as mere nameless faces around us. I spent hours in roadside tea-stalls by the railway stations, or by a river, and listen to the saga of these voiceless people who come for a cup of tea. Their immense sorrows and their little joys manifest themselves in the poems I write.

I only wish that the world remembers me as a poet who wrote for the huge multitude who were born as mere faces, and who died as mere faces.

The main malady that acts as an invisible, gigantic barrier to peace is a person’s unending craving for more. More power, more wealth, more fame, more food. No sooner than his one want is fulfilled he is craving for more, and more. He is caught in a fresh desire for something else. it is an insatiable hunger. The entire focus of his existence is getting centered around his desire for more. Not achieving it, is leading to frustration, dejection, desperation. Despite being a social entity, he is not thinking for the society at large, but is thinking about satisfying his own desires and wants. Since it is impossible that one’s every want will be fulfilled, this is breeding an unreasoning unrest in people’s mental make-up, which is reflected through the various incidents of intolerance, discord, insurgency and turmoil, not only in India, but globally. This basic moral poverty in a person, fuelled by economic disparity, lack of equal opportunity, social exploitation, politically motivated vendetta and religious discrimination is ripping my country apart with discontent and tension at every socio-economic strata.

Restoring peace in a country is a herculean task, but not impossible. Perhaps the solution lies in the moral up-gradation of a person, in the awakening of his conscience. We have become technological giants, but have remained as moral dwarfs. Where every country has not laid due emphasis in their academic syllabus is on the sphere of moral education. Even if it is there, the approach is lackadaisical, to say the least. Then there is religious intolerance. Moral education should be stressed upon in every school, from the kindergarten level upwards, with the same importance and priority with which mathematics, science or language is taught. The objective should be that one’s conscience never goes to sleep as he grows up and enters the ruthlessly complicated maze called life.

Poetry can help achieve this goal. It is certainly a potent weapon to rage war against war, and bring about peace in the world. Poetry has this power to connect souls across geographical barriers. Had it not been so, then a person like me, sitting in one remote corner of India, would never have connected to the people of Bosnia. Through poetry one can spread the word of peace and love across all quarters, staring with the awakening of consciousness towards all that is just and good inside one’s own, infecting one’s neighbour with the same enlightenment, and gradually affecting the collective conscience of an entire country.Poetry is the mirror through which we see our soul, we see our self.

1. Niruddesh Somporkito Ghoshona, Bengali poetry collection (2015)
2. Brishti Pora Bari, Bengali poetry collection (2020)
3. Akhrot, Bengali poetry collection (2021)
4. Nawabgunj, poetry collection translated in English by Moulinath Goswami (2023)

YES

Previše

Ja sam osoba koja je “previše”, znaš.
Previše ljubavi, previše bola,
previše razmišljanja, previše opsesije – previše svega.

Ova intenzivnost postaje iscrpljujuća.

Ili rađam leptire ili razbijam obrasce.
Ili bućkam noći
ili mjesečarim kroz dane.
Ili ljubim žestoko ili popravljam svoje istrošeno srce brusnim papirom.

Učim kako uzgajati vrt
na tom uskom parčetu
između svojih krajnosti.

Gdje slomljeno cvjeta u hrabro.
Gdje nemir kreira dugu.
Gdje “previše” znači obilje.

Ja sam osoba koja je “previše”, znaš.

Translated to Montenegrin by Anđela Turukalo Dabetić
………………………………………….

Too Much

I am this ‘too much’ person, you know.
Too much love, too much pain,
too much thinking, too much obsessing – too much of too much!

This intensity gets exhausting.

I am either birthing butterflies or breaking patterns.
I am either churning nights
or sleepwalking through days.
I am either loving ferociously or fixing my worn-out heart with a sandpaper.

I am learning to grow a garden
in that narrow patch
between my extremities now.

Where broken blossoms into brave. Where restlessness roots a rainbow. Where too-much means abundance.

I am this too much person, you know.

Chandrama Deshmukh is an author, poet, playwright, theatre artist, storyteller, screenplay writer and performance artist. She has four books of poems published. A Teaspoon Of Stars and Moonlit Monochrome are among her recent works. Chandrama has done over 100 poetry performances in India and internationally. She continues to play her role in giving this art-form the appreciation it deserves. To Chandrama, poetry is the streak of silver lining amidst the chaos of life. The moon is her muse.

The pursuit of peace in any nation is often hindered by entrenched conflicts, divisions, and a lack of understanding. Families torn apart, communities divided, and the scars of the past present formidable challenges. Poetry offers a beacon of hope, bridging divides through shared human experiences and emotions. It educates, fostering empathy and dialogue, and acts as a platform for peaceful conversations. In times of turmoil, poetry provides solace and healing, allowing societies to process trauma. It also serves as a powerful advocate for peace, shedding light on the human cost of unrest. In essence, poetry inspires unity and resilience on the path to peace.

1. A Teaspoon Of Stars, poetry collection (2020)
2. Moonlit Monochrome, poetry collection (2018)
3. Samvedananchya Payathyashi, poetry collection in Marathi (2001)
4. Chandravel, poetry collection in Marathi (1998)

YES

ZNAČENJE MOJE TIŠINE

Nikad ne pitaj što mi znači tišina.
Nemoj, nikada.
Pitanje će ostati neodgovoreno.
Jesi li ikada zalutala šumom u sumrak;
gdje duhovi visokih gustih borova
igraju se žmurke kao vilinske svjetiljke,
gdje čak i zvuk tvog daha plaši
i šuškanje koraka proganja
srčane otkucaje, dok na trenutak prestanu,
dok se bojiš čak i pogledati unazad?
Takva je moja tišina.

Nikad ne pitaj što mi znači tišina.
Nemoj, nikada.
Možda nećeš razumjeti njene slogove.
Jesi li ikada potonula u dubine okeana;
gdje mutna svjetlost polako blijedi u tamu
a zatim u bezdan nepoznatih prostora
gdje sjene čudovišnih stvorenja
prolaze i svjedoče tvom padu u pećine bezdana
u kojima se tama stapa s gluvoćom
i sve što vidiš je ništa?
Takva je moja tišina.

Nikad ne pitaj što mi znači tišina.
Nemoj, nikada.
Zvuk moje tišine
je krik koji može ogluvjeti
svakoga ko pozajmi uvo;
njene dimenzije su izvan dosega
strpljenja,
možeš naslutiti predaju srca
koje je nosi.
Nikad ne pitaj što mi znači tišina.
Nemoj, nikada.

Translated to Montenegrin by Anđela Turukalo Dabetić
…………………………………………….

The Meaning of My Silence

Don’t ever ask, what my silence means.
Don’t even ever.
Your questions shall fall short.
Have you ever been lost in the woods at twilight;
where the specters of tall dense pines
play hide and seek like the will-o-wisps,
where even the sound of your breath is scarring
and the rustle of the footsteps haunts
the heartbeats, whereby they cease for a while,
while you feel afraid of even looking back?
Such is my silence

Don’t ever ask, what my silence means.
Don’t even ever.
You may not comprehend its syllables
Have you ever drowned in the depths of the oceans;
where the hazy light slowly fades into darkness
thereafter into the abyss of unknown realms
where the shadows of monstrous creatures
glide past and witness your fall into the cavernous caves
wherein the darkness fuses with deafness
and all you see is naught?
Such is my silence

Don’t ever ask, what my silence means.
Don’t even ever.
The sound of my silence
is a shriek that may deafen
anyone who lends an ear;
its dimensions are beyond the
range of forbearance,
you may guess the resignation of the heart
that carries it along.
Don’t ever ask, what my silence means.
Don’t even ever.

Mohammad Zahid’s first poetry collection titled The Pheromone Trail bagged the Best Book Award from the Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Jammu & Kashmir in 2015, and was favourably read and reviewed widely.
He has also translated two volumes of the landmark work Kashmiri Zuban Aur Shayiri by Abdul Ahad Azad into English, commissioned by the Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Jammu & Kashmir. He has also translated a collection of essays Aaena Khana by Aziz Hajini into English, apart from a monograph on the Kashmiri poet, Abdul Raheem Aama published by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. More recently, he was a recipient of the Jibananda Dass Poetry Translation Award, conferred by the Kolkata Poetry Confluence, in 2022, for his translation of the poems of Naseem Shifai. His latest poetry collection Graffiti of Dreams is being published by The Writers Workshop Kolkatta, India in 2023.
Zahid’s poems have appeared in various print and e-journals like Lakeview International Journal of Literature and Arts, Muse India, The Ghazal Page (USA), Eastern Structures (Canada), Spilling Cocoa Over Martin Amis (USA), The Thomas Hardy Society (UK), Maulana Azad Journal of English Language and Literature, Sheeraza, and The Antonym. His poems have appeared in various anthologies such as Timescapes published by Unison Publications, 2010, Palestine, published by The Inner Child Press USA, 2019, Winter is Coming Edited by Gino Leineweber and published by Verlag Expeditionen Germany 2020, Paradise on Earth edited by Stefan Bohdan and published by The Inner Child Press USA, 2021, Rivers Going Home edited by Ashwani Kumar and published by Red River, 2022. The Spanish translation of his poems was included in Antología – Gestos de la Poesía 2022 published by the Cultural Centre of Universidad de Los Andes, Columbia.
He has been regularly invited to National and International Poetry Festivals and conclaves, as The Hyderabad Literary Festival, International Poetry Festivals at Guntur, Vijayawada, World Peace Meet Kolkata, and Ipoh, Malaysia during the Pulara 9 poetry festival 2019.
He is the translation editor at Muse India and The Lakeview International Journal of Language and Literature. Apart from his poetic meanderings, He also talks to his surroundings through his camera lenses, capturing his sensitive perception of life and nature in pixels. He is a banker by profession.

The overall scenario the world over is the gradual erosion of tolerance towards fellow beings, defined by differences in race, colour, gender, religion, languages and economic disparity. The world is gradually becoming a narrower place to practice thoughts that rise above these differentiating factors. There remains hope still, that saner voices may some day be heard, however feeble they might be as of now. Poetry is one such voice that keeps the glimmer of hope alive.

Poetry Collections
Have two published poetry collections:

1. The Pheromone Trail : 2013 Published by Cyberwit, India
2. Graffiti of Dreams : 2023 Writers Workshop, India (In Press)

Translations
Have translated the following literary works from Kashmiri/Urdu to English
1. Kashmiri Language and Poetry Volume I published by Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art Culture and Languages (2017)
2. Kashmiri Language and Poetry Volume III published by Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art Culture and Languages (2023) In Press
3. The Hall of Mirrors, English Translation of Aan-e-Khana, Sahitya Akademy Award winning collection of essays on Kashmiri Criticism by Aziz Hajini published by Sahitya Akademi (2018)
4. Monograph on blind Kashmiri poet Abdul Rahim Aama by Marghoob Banihali, as a part of the series Makers of Indian Literature, published by Sahitya Akademi (2021)

YES