“In the Light” Translation by Jemima Nasrin
Alokey by Kamini Roy (Bengali)
We are the children of light,
What endless galaxy lies in here!
Dreams are woven in this light,
The game to be born and die.
Thousand sparkles of life
Under the infinite universe,
With the great burning sun,
They go on shining leisurely.
In the eternal galaxy of light,
It loses itself,
In the dazzle of unbearable brightness,
It roams around blindly.
We, the children of light,
Why do we fear the light?
Come, look around everywhere,
Nothing is to fear here.
In this limitless sea of light,
What if a small lustre dies?
Let it be, who can say
It won't ignite again?
Kamini Roy was a poet, social worker and feminist. She was the first woman honours graduate in British India.
