About a Feast / Abu Karim

It was far in past: around 1973 or 1974.

I would reside then at Mohsin Hall.

My pocket in those days would not

be full. On such a day I had some money

only to have lunch

and at best snacks in the afternoon.

I mean I had 4 or 5 taka in total.

Suddenly, my friend Sabdar arrived,

Poet Golam Sabdar Siddique.

He had not a single farthing in his pocket.

He requested me to pay for his lunch.

The amount in my pocket was not enough

for us two to have lunch at Popular Hotel

behind New Market. On the other hand, it was

impossible to have any meal

at the dining room of the hall

because he was known to all

not so much as a poet

but more for his eccentric dresses

and more eccentric

talks nonstop around.

It was such a difficult task to avoid Sabdar

that everyone having any relation with him knew

it to the backbone. We both discussed a lot how

we would be able to manage our lunch,

but without any conclusion.

Sabdar at last propose that we should

go to Eskaton; there must be some feast of marriage

at the Ladies’ Club. We would participate there.

Though I never had done such a thing, I did it

on his  request. We hired a rickshaw for eight annas

and found a feast of a marriage.

I preferred to sit in an undisturbed corner,

but Sabdar dragged me to an important table

where Ataur Rahman Khan and Rashed Khan Menon

had been already sitting. And then the feast started.

I wanted that I would go back home a gentle boy,

but Sabdar behaved careless at everything.

He started a controversial talk with Menon Bhai

on something important. People from all sides,

hearing this frequent English and sparse Bangla

stared at us.

At that moment Firoze Shai Modhu

was passing beside us. We would smoke ganja

together behind Sakura. So , I went on eating

keeping my head bowing low, but it became tough

to pacify Sabdar; he shouted, ‘’ Hi, Modhu, come on here!’’

He called Modhu, but perhaps, Modhu had come to sing

because he went to a corner where there were big instruments.

I was going on eating and perspiring out of fear of being

caught and tried to nudge Sabdar with my leg though

he remained out of response. And now he asked Ataur Rahman Khan,

the  ex prime minister, a question in English  about the future of Bangla.

Sabdar had commented that eating at such feasts was very easy;

the bride’s people would think that we were the groom’s people,

and the groom’s people would take us for the bride’s.

He had experiences , but I had never participated in such a

feast. So , I finished the feast getting perspired much.

Then from a shop opposite to the Ladies’ Club

we bought Five Star cigarettes and jumped on a rickshaw

and ordered the puller to go to Neelkhet.

Many days have passed; now my residence

is in a flat just facing the Ladies’ Club.

Almost everyday the smell of feast titillate

my nostrils. There is no hunger in the stomach now;

rather I have to walk daily to lessen fat. Not a single

time do I feel of going to the Club to participate in a feast.

29 March 2000

ভোজের গল্প  কবিতার  অনুবাদ  ।

[Translated by Dulal Al Monsur]