My Boat

I take no passenger in my boat My boat is a damaged one. I alone move from one bank to another In this tattered canoe of mine. The water of this river made a bankrupt of me And now I want to go down to its bottom And see how deep it is. I seek not to make money By ferrying passengers across; I saw her In the mirror of these waters, But now the mirror alone is left While the person in the mirror is gone, And, in tears, I wander now, Looking for her in this river. Patiently I wait in the ban Hoping to meet her, Her name is my rosary. And with tears in my eyes I call her. But the star of my eyes Has lured my sight away Into the bottom of these waters Even the river dries up, my friend. And fills again with water When the time is ripe. Can it be that she alone That went away would return no more? Alas, my friend, I loved and lost all. Homeless and an exile I now wander from door to door. [Original in Bangla: Amar shampan; Translation: Kabir Chowdhury]