In Time to Come

by Kumud Biswas

O you maiden of sweet seventeen
Of the time yet to come
Please pardon me if I visualize in my mind
Sitting at your window
Holding in your hand
My book of poems you are reading!
The moon is pouring a deep silence
Filling the emptiness of my rhythms
And with a tune giving my words
A meaning which they want;
Perhaps your heart will overflow with feelings
May be you will think
‘Today had he been alive
He would have fallen in love with me.’
Perhaps yourself you will be telling
‘He will never come back
Yet I light up this candle in his memory

And keep it at my window tonight.’
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Transcreation of the poem Bhabi kal from the collection Purabi by Rabidranath Tagore. It was written on the 6^th of November, 1924, on board the ship Andes on his way to Buenos Aires where he met his greatest Latin American admirer, Victoria Ocampo, and stayed at her magnificent villa on the banks of the river La Plata for about two months as her guest. At that time the poet was 63 and Ocampo was 34. Daughter of a very rich man she was very beautiful, highly educated and famous as a feminist and writer of great ability. Her loving care restored the health of the physically exhausted poet. The Argentine film director Pablo Cesar is filming their relationship in his forthcoming movie Thinking of Him. Tagore endearingly called her Vijaya (Victoria) and dedicated her his Purabi. They met for the last time at Paris in 1930 where Victoria Ocampo was instrumental in organizing the first exhibition of the poet’s paintings. The original poem may be viewed at http://www.rabindra-rachanabali.nltr.org/node/12502

25-Mar-2014

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Comments on this Poem

Dear Nathmal Sharma, Many thanks for the compliments.

TagoreBlog
28-Mar-2014 03:58 AM

Kumud Biswas is a name of profound,meaningful and heart touching expression in field of Bengali
& English poetry.I have read his poems several times.An extraordinary maturity of thoughts,selection of words ,vivid description and other so many qualities which I haven't mentioned here,are major evidences of his genius.I salute his God gifted skilfulness of
wisdom.A lot of thanks for creating always nice
poetry.I beg him to keep in touch with boloji readers.
Thanks again.

Nathmal Sharma
27-Mar-2014 14:30 PM

Padmaja Iyenger & rdashby, Thanks for your appreciation.

TagoreBlog
27-Mar-2014 09:15 AM

Thanks Mr. Biswas for recreating andf transcreating a slice of Purabi here! Lovely! The poem seems so much like a prophecy! Thanks for sharing this beautiful poem of Tagore!2X43

Padmaja Iyengar
27-Mar-2014 00:26 AM

A wonderful throwback to a bygone age - pre-radio, pre-TV, pre-computer and pre-cellphone. Even I can sympathise, because in my teens only radio was in vogue; and when that was switched off one had time to sit on a window-ledge and dream under an unobscured night sky. One admires the scholarship and the dedication that is yours in this one of countless transcreations caught in a time capsule the young reader is able to enter and vicariously experience. But that is just the problem, it can never be an empathic experience; even the dated association of the poet is enough to put the young reader off; though to those of us who were around before the modern age took off, it is of some empathic value.

rdashby
26-Mar-2014 21:24 PM