Selected Poems with an Introduction, Chronology, and Glossary

Jibanananda Das (1899-1954) is one of the most important poets of Bengal. Nevertheless, he remains a poet little known outside West Bengal and Bangladesh. Perhaps due to the absence of competent translations into English and other languages, Das’s achievement as a poet remains unrepresented in world literature. This selection of poems is designed to emphasize how Das’s poems are great treasures of our literature through the medium of translation. Fakrul Alam’s uniquely competent English translations also mark the birth centenary celebrations of Jibanananda Das this year (1999). Lovers of poetry outside the Bengali-speaking world should get a sense of the richness of Das’s poetry, his growth as a poet, and the extra ordinary range of his work through these translations. Many attempts have been made to translate Jibanananda Das’s poems earlier, some successful but mostly unsuccessful. They have either been academic and overly literal, or flat in terms of capturing the cadence of the original language. Here are fresh translations that attempt to bring out the textures of classical and vernacular speech of the time, sensuousness of imagery, and clarity of context of the Bengali original. These versions are extremely faithful in terms of the content of Jibanananda Das’s Bangla poems. It is evident through Fakrul Alam’s new translations that there is great generosity of heart in his endeavour. This book will be invaluable to both scholars and general lovers of poetry—and how can one possibly not recommend Jibanananda Das’s genius.