The Empty Bed

The sun blazes in the lonely noon
I look at the empty bed
But find no solace
It is full of hopeless lamentations
A plaintive note continually rising from it
I cannot comprehend
As a dog losing its master
In great pain fruitlessly searches
In its dumbness
It cannot communicate its confusion
As to why and what has happened –
More plaintive is the bed’s language
The entire room is filled with dumb pain
For the dear one’s absence.

Transcreation of poem 4 from the collection Shesh Lekha by Rabindranath Tagore. Written at Santiniketan on 26th March, 1941 - a few months before the poet’s death in August 1941. The original poem is at http://www.rabindra-rachanabali.nltr.org/node/13753