“Solitary” Translated by Kausambi Patra
Ekaa by Mandakranta Sen (Bengali)
Lying for so long under waters, green hued Alga and abandoned insect wings pillow me Have all of you reached the water’s edge above, to bathe? Waves of yearning surge, I long to go with you…
“The Present” Translated by Kausambi Patra
Upohaar by Mandakranta Sen
Forbidden Are presents In your wedding invite. But my hand is weighed with Like bright trembling water Me.
“The Bakul” Translated by Kausambi Patra
Bakul by Krishna Basu
After long estrangement the lone Bakul tree last night Was drenched in the rain, the morning made me witness The prideful Bakul’s tears scattered as blossoms on the grass.
Mandakranta Sen was the youngest ever winner of Ananda Puraskar in 1999 for her very first poetry book. In 2004 she was awarded Sahitya Akademi Golden Jubilee Award for poetry. She is also a lyricist, composer, fiction writer, dramatist and cover designer.
Krishna Basu is an important poet writing in Bengali. Her poems reveal the coming together of Indian traditional heritage and the modern trends in a powerful feminist voice.
