"Bodh" ( bn, বোধ, in
Clinton B. Seely
Clinton B. Seely ( bn, ক্লিনটন বি. সিলি) (born June 21, 1941) is an American academic and translator, and a scholar of Bengali language and literature. He has translated the works of Ramprasad Sen and Michael Madhusudan ...
's English translation "Sensation"
and
Fakrul Alam
Fakrul Alam (born 20 July 1951) is a Bangladeshi academic, writer, and translator. He writes on literary matters and postcolonial issues and translated works of Jibanananda Das and Rabindranath Tagore into English. He is the recipient of Bangla A ...
's "An Overwhelming Sensation") is a celebrated
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
poem written by
Jibanananda Das in 1930. It was first published in the literary magazine ''Pragati'' in 1336 of
Bengali calendar. The poem was later included in Jibanananda Das' poetry book ''Dhushor Pandulipi (The Grey Manuscript)'' published in 1936.
Clinton B. Seely
Clinton B. Seely ( bn, ক্লিনটন বি. সিলি) (born June 21, 1941) is an American academic and translator, and a scholar of Bengali language and literature. He has translated the works of Ramprasad Sen and Michael Madhusudan ...
wrote that in "Sensation", Jibanananda gives his readers an account of the burden he bore, the creative process conceived of as a presence, a constant companion, and not always a welcomed one:
Prof.
Alam
Alam is a masculine name derived from several ancient languages including :
# Arabic: (''ʿĀlam'') meaning "world" or "universe"
# Hebrew: cognate word is transcribed as '' Olam'', also meaning "World"
# Tagalog: ''Alam'' means "Knowledge" ...
opined that the poem is "about a man overwhelmed by the poetic fit and, indeed, consumed by it."
Into the half light and shadow go I. Within my head
Not a dream, but some sensation works its will.
Not a dream, not peace, not love,
A sensation born in my very being.
I cannot escape it
For it puts its hand in mine,
And all else pales to insignificance—futile, so it seems.
Transliteration of one stanza in the Latin alphabet
References
External links
Recitation of ''Bodh'' on YoutubeShimul Mustapha's Recitation of ''Bodh'' on YoutubeBodh in English Translation by Clinton B. SeelyBodh on allpoetry.com
Works by Jibanananda Das
Bengali-language poems
Indian poems
Bengali poetry in English translation
Bengali-language literature
{{India-lit-stub