The 10th death anniversary of celebrated poet Shamsur Rahman was observed by his family members, relatives, friends and well-wishers in a befitting manner on August 17. The poet died on this day in 2006 at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital (former PG Hospital). This year the observance of the death anniversary at Paratoli, the ancestral village of the poet in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi district, carries a special significance. A number of poets, litterateurs, journalists, cultural activists and well-wishers of the poet from Dhaka joined the programme at the village. The programme was arranged by the poet’s nephew (son of the poet’s younger brother) and Chairman of Poet Shamsur Rahman Foundation, Barrister Toufiqur Rahman. The silent village, edging the Meghna river, became alive with the footsteps of so many luminaries. The huge rush of people testifies to how dearly the villagers love the poet. The poet had written the two famous poems on the liberation war titled, ‘Swadhinota Tumi’ and ‘Tomakey Paowar Jonney Hey Swadhinota’ sitting on the bank of the pond near his house during the liberation war in 1971. A tribute to poet Shamsur Rahman
This is the first time
that the poets death anniversary was observed in a
big way at his
ancestral village
Saidur Rahman
The 10th death anniversary of celebrated poet Shamsur Rahman was observed by his family members, relatives, friends and well-wishers in a befitting manner on August 17. The poet died on this day in 2006 at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital (former PG Hospital). This year the observance of the death anniversary at Paratoli, the ancestral village of the poet in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi district, carries a special significance. A number of poets, litterateurs, journalists, cultural activists and well-wishers of the poet from Dhaka joined the programme at the village. The programme was arranged by the poets nephew (son of the poets younger brother) and Chairman of Poet Shamsur Rahman Foundation, Barrister Toufiqur Rahman. The silent village, edging the Meghna river, became alive with the footsteps of so many luminaries. The huge rush of people testifies to how dearly the villagers love the poet. The poet had written the two famous poems on the liberation war titled, Swadhinota Tumi and Tomakey Paowar Jonney Hey Swadhinota sitting on the bank of the pond near his house during the liberation war in 1971.
This is the first time that the poets death anniversary was observed in a big way at his ancestral village. The days programme included discussion meeting, milad mahfil, feeding of the destitute and poetry recitation. Earlier, floral wreathes were placed on the grave of the poet at the Banani graveyard. Discussion meetings were also arranged at different places in Dhaka marking the death anniversary.
My association with Poet Shamsur Rahman spans over two decades. I had first met the poet in the year 1985. He was then editor of the now-defunct prestigious daily Dainik Bangla. I was then working in an English daily newspaper. It was a bright sunny day. I had three poems of Shamsur Rahman translated into English by me. I picked up the poems from three Bangla dailies. I had translated the poems just a week ago before meeting the poet. I was pacing on the verandah in front of the spacious room of the poet in the Dainik Bangla Bhaban. I had been a frequenter to the now-defunct English daily the Bangladesh Times housed in the same building as I was a regular contributor to the magazine pages of the daily. My heart was pounding. I was seized with anxiety thinking how would the poet take my translations of his poems.
Tushar Das, a promising poet of the seventies who was very much close to Poet Shamsur Rahman at that time, observed my pacing the verandah in front of the poets room in the Dainik Bangla. He came close to me and asked: Do you want to meet Poet Shamsur Rahman?
Yes, I said with an air of hesitation. He led me into the poets room instantly. It was the day of the founding anniversary of Dainik Bangla. The office of the daily wore a festive look. The poets room was full of packets of sweetmeats. As I sat face to face with the poet, I felt a thrill of joy. Poet Shamsur Rahman gave me a packet of sweetmeats and asked me to take with his characteristic innocent smile.
As I was taking the sweets, I took a close look at the poet. His fair complexion, curly hairs and expressive eyes captivated me first sight. I kept my translations of his poems on the table to draw his attention. He went through the translations quickly and took a keen look at me.
From now onward, you may translate into English any of my poems you like. You need not take my permission, said the poet. I felt elated at the poets approval of my translation of his poems. After half an hour I came out of the poets room. Since then, I kept on translating the poets poems into English. On many occasions I met the poet at his official room. He would treat me cordially. I also visited his two-storey house at Shyamoli on a number of occasions. I was literally astonished at the vast collection of books in his possession. I used to address him as Rahman Bhai like many of his fans and admirers. He gave me many of his published books on different occasions. I used to spend times at his house whenever I had time. We used to discuss literature, art and culture, political situation of the country and even personal matters. He used to offer me tea, biscuits, sweets and other things. Almost every week I would talk to him over telephone. It was not difficult to get him over phone as the phone was kept on his writing table. He used to sit on a chair near the table in his bedroom on the first floor of his house at Shyamoli. Whenever I went to his house he would call me straight into his room. I would sit close to him.
Gradually my intimacy with him grew. My translation of his poems into English began to appear in different English dailies of Dhaka. Whenever any poem appeared in any daily newspaper I would inform him over telephone or meet him with a copy of the newspaper containing the poem.
I have translated 65 poems of Shamsur Rahman into English, so far. I would like to mention that my translation is not confined to Shamsur Rahman alone. I have translated more than 500 Bangla poems into English covering the major Bangladeshi poets of the fifties, sixties, seventies and eighties. Shamsur Rahman was a student of English Literature at Dhaka University in the fifties. Celebrated writer and academician Professor Zillur Rahman Siddiqui, celebrated journalist SM Ali, former cabinet secretary Muzibul Haque and former secretary and ambassador Saber Reza Karim were his batch mates at Dhaka University. He had a childlike simplicity. He had no vanity at all. Despite being the most popular poet of the country he had not an iota of pride in him.
Once I was talking to him in his room at the Dainik Bangla office. At that time famous Indian novelist and short story writer Samaresh Basu entered into his room with noted novelist of our country, Rashid Karim. I felt very much enlightened at the conversations held among the three giants of Bangla literature. On another occasion, I had a brief talk with him. Eminent Indian poet and novelist Sunil Gangopadhya was sitting close to him at that time.
On another occasion I translated a poem by him which had appeared in the Dainik Bangla. But a few words were missing from the poem. I requested the poet to give me the missing words. He could not recollect the words instantly. He said he would find out the original copy of the poem at his home. A few days later I met him and he kept his word. He gave me the missing words.
On another occasion I entered into his room at Dainik Bangla. He was alone in his room at that time. He looked a bit pensive.
Anything wrong, Rahman Bhai ? You look so depressed, I said.
He asked me to take my seat. He offered me biscuits and tea and paid attention to writing something. Suddenly he showed a bit excited.
Rahman Bhai should I leave you alone?, I asked.
No, he said. He offered me some cakes he brought from his home. Next day almost all the newspapers carried the letter he was writing sitting in front of me. It was his resignation letter. That was his last day at the Dainik Bangla office. His relation with President HM Ershad was not going well. Since Dainik Bangla was a government controlled newspaper, there was little freedom for a sensitive poet and editor like Shamsur Rahman.
I met poet Shamsur Rahman at his home only two months before his death. I spent more than half an hour with him. He gave me his two recently published books of poems. In course of his conversation, he told me that Oxford University-educated celebrated Indian novelist Amitabh Ghosh had written a letter to him in Bangla. Usually Amitabh writes in English. I was curious to see the letter as I am an admirer of his novels and had gone through two of his novels some years back. Shamsur Rahman made a frantic search for the letter but failed to find it out.
My book on Poet Shamsur Rahman (Selected Poems of Shamsur Rahman) came out in 2001. The book, a bilingual one, contains 44 poems. After the publication of the book I went to the poets home with some copies of the book. He was highly pleased at the quality of production of the book. I last met Shamsur Rahman at the BSMMU Hospital only a few days before his death. He was lying unconscious on the bed surrounded by his near and dear ones. Eminent poet, novelist and playwright Syed Shamsul Haque and his wife were there at that time. I was near the poets bed for half an hour. It seemed to me that I was hearing his death rattle. His chest was rising and falling with his respirations. Shamsur Rahman had written a number of poems relating to death. The poems appeared in different dailies in Dhaka before his death. Perhaps he got the premonition of death. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
The writer is an Assistant Editor of The Independent
