Boimela Picks: 'Translated Poems Only to Prove Poetry Needs No Translation!'
Book: দূর দ্রাঘিমায় (In Distant Longitudes)
Writer: Gultekin Khan
Cover: Dhrubo Esh
Genre: Poems in Bangla Translation
Dedicated to: Nova, Shila, Bipasha and Nuhash
Target Reader: Adult
Publisher: Tamralipi (Book Fair Stall#229)
1st Published: February 2017
©: Writer
Writer's Photograph: Sohel Rana Ripon
Price: 160/- (At Book Fair: 120/-)
ISBN: 984-70096-0371-4
Gultekin Khan, in 2016, had emerged as a 'published poet' for the first time with a compilation of original poems. Her poetic abilities took the Bengali poetry readers and lovers by surprise – in a very good way.
To many, her very late appearance in the world of poetry, was considered injustice to contemporary Bengali Literature and to her talent.
This year (2017) Khan has again hit the stall with poems, but this time with translated ones. Translated poems by poets from many parts of the world, making the name of the book ‘দূর দ্রাঘিমায়' – 'In Distant Longitudes.
The twenty-five poets featured in this book are all women – which the writer claims is a mere coincidence, as she only selected the poems that she loves. Surely enough, the ones that talk about love, talks with conviction.
The foreword written by Ms. Khan herself has quite a few quotable lines.
She starts by telling herself that it wouldn't be bad if all the people in the world would speak the same language and there would be no need for translations. But again, she adds- before expressing in words, whatever language may it be, is basically the translation of our thoughts and feelings.
'In Distant Longitudes' is a must read in order to discover that borders and politics may divide and define a person geographically and culturally but the feelings of love and loathe, sadness and euphoria, all meet at one single point called poetry.
Anik Khan is a Poet and Journalist.
Comments