In the Land of People Deprived of Elbow / Abu Karim

Does giving alms indirectly inspire begging?

I would always be pierced with this question.

So, I would not give alms to beggars.

Recently, I have decided that will give alms

but not to the ones who are able-bodied.

I will give alms to the blind, the lame, the crippled,

the ones deprived of legs or elbows, in short,

those who are not able to do any work.

I have ordered the driver whom I have got

from my office that he should store some coins

and petty notes beside him so that we can

give alms to those who storm at the car just as

it stops at any place.

Form that time on I have noticed that

the number of people deprived of elbows

has increased. Whenever my vehicle stops

near Bijoy Soroni or the parliament building,

some  persons  without elbow  are declaring their presence

making thudding sounds of the closed window

with the rest of their chopped elbows.

Seeing that reality, it seems that a rush

of chopping elbows is going on now.

If not, how have so many elbowless

people assembled to the capital

so suddenly? Those elbowless people

who create throngs at railway stations,

steamer ghats and other public places,

are not all beggars. Some of them carry

loads, some pulls rickshaws. Even those

who are chopped on the left hands are

going on with somewhat formal education

of reading and writing. The full sleeves

of their shirts have kept their chopped elbows

covered.

Who are chopping elbows? Why are they chopping?

Are elbows like vegetables? Are they green

mangoes of hot scorching summer sun?

Why have I been sitting idle in this country

of people who are deprived of elbows?

14 August 2002

‘কব্জিহীনদের দেশে’ কবিতার অনুবাদ

[Translated by Dulal Al Monsur]