The Night of Troubled Dark
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Posted:Apr 26, 2021 9:36 am
Last Updated:Oct 8, 2023 4:59 am 29628 Views
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The night when the storm shattered my doors
Neither did I know nor did I see
In the carnage, you had come to me.
Everything turned black
The lamp went out
For whom did I reach out then on high?
In the darkness, I lay dreaming.
How could I know
Was the storm pennant of your triumph?
In the morning, I see,
There you were, standing
There where the emptiness that had filled.
An endeavor by me to translate the song " Je Rate Mor Doarguli Bhanglow Jhare' by Tagore.
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10
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The blooming Tulips, feast for the eyes!
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Posted:Feb 21, 2021 4:55 am
Last Updated:Sep 21, 2022 5:36 am 31901 Views
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Tulips bloom for the first time in Bangladesh
While living in divided Germany during the nineteen seventies, I did develop an irresistible urge to see the blooming Tulip fields in the Netherlands. But due to other important engagements, my intention to visit the country at that time did not materialize. I had to wait another seven years before I could visit Holland and view the colorful Tulip fields there.
We know that the Tulip is a spring-flowering plant of the lily family. The flowers are cup-shaped, boldly colored, and symmetrical. The name Tulip drives from the Persian word for the Turban, probably because a full bloom Tulip has a turban-like shape. The name Tulip has a meaning too. It commonly means “perfect love”.
The Tulips did not originate in the Netherlands. The Tien Shan mountain ranges in Central Asia are believed to be the region where the Tulips originated. For those who are interested to know how did tulips come to the Netherlands, I would suggest them to go to Google and find out details within minutes.
Before I forget, I should mention here that the Tulip, the national flower of Turkey and the Netherlands, grows from bulbs! Though tulip usually grows in colder countries, is now largely being cultivated commercially in a tropical country like mine (Bangladesh) too. The time is not far off when this country of mine will export Tulips for those who love this flower of dazzling beauty.
To me, a blooming Tulip field, whether located in the Netherlands or in Bangladesh, is a feast for my eyes!
The pictures that accompanied this article and posted below are from the blooming Tulip Field owned the flower farmer Delwar Hossain located In Gazipur, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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To Amanda Gorman
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Posted:Jan 29, 2021 4:52 am
Last Updated:Nov 15, 2023 8:00 am 32053 Views
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The Hill We Climb
Amanda, you are not a descendant of a slave. You are one of us, a descendant of the Human Race like your ancestor who was brought to America forcibly from Africa.
The day is not far off when we all shall be climbing the steep hill together, holding each other’s hand firmly and reciting your poem " The Hill We Climb" loudly.
Amanda Gorman, you have given all of us around the world hope.
The transcript of the full poem may be seen below.
When the day comes we ask ourselves,
where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry,
a sea we must wade.
We've braved the belly of the beast,
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace,
and the norms and notions
of what just is
isn't always justice.
And yet the dawn is ours
before we knew it.
Somehow we do it.
Somehow we've weathered and witnessed
a nation that isn't broken,
but simply unfinished.
We the successors of a country and a time
where a skinny Black girl
descended from slaves and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one.
And yes we are far from polished.
Far from pristine.
But that doesn't mean we are
striving to form a union that is perfect.
We are striving to forge a union with purpose,
to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and
conditions of man.
And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us,
but what stands before us.
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside.
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another.
We seek harm to none and harmony for all.
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true,
that even as we grieved, we grew,
that even as we hurt, we hoped,
that even as we tried, we tried,
that we'll forever be tied together, victorious.
Not because we will never again know defeat,
but because we will never again sow division.
Scripture tells us to envision
that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree
and no one shall make them afraid.
If we're to live up to our own time,
then victory won't lie in the blade.
But in all the bridges we've made,
that is the promise to the glade,
the hill we climb.
If only we dare.
It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,
it's the past we step into
and how we repair it.
We've seen a force that would shatter our nation
rather than sharing it.
Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.
And this effort very nearly succeeded.
But while democracy can be periodically delayed,
it can never be permanently defeated.
In this truth,
in this faith we trust.
For while we have our eyes on the future,
history has its eyes on us.
This is the era of just redemption
we feared at its inception.
We did not feel prepared to be the heirs
of such a terrifying hour
but within it, we found the power
to author a new chapter.
To offer hope and laughter to ourselves.
So while once we asked,
how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?
Now we assert,
How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?
We will not march back to what was,
but move to what shall be.
A country that is bruised but the whole,
benevolent but bold,
fierce and free.
We will not be turned around
or interrupted by intimidation,
because we know our inaction and inertia
will be the inheritance of the next generation.
Our blunders become their burdens.
But one thing is certain,
If we merge mercy with might,
and might with the right,
then love becomes our legacy,
and change our 's birthright.
So let us leave behind a country
better than the one we were left with.
With every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,
we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.
We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west.
We will rise from the windswept northeast,
where our forefathers first realized revolution.
We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states.
We will rise from the sunbaked south.
We will rebuild, reconcile and recover.
And every known nook of our nation and
every corner called our country,
our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,
battered and beautiful.
When the day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid,
the new dawn blooms as we free it.
For there is always light
if only we're brave enough to see it.
If only we're brave enough to be it.
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18
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2021 Greetings
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Posted:Dec 30, 2020 10:22 pm
Last Updated:Nov 15, 2023 8:14 am 32701 Views
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Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year
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20
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The Downpour.
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Posted:Dec 30, 2020 7:59 am
Last Updated:Oct 15, 2023 2:20 am 31924 Views
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The downpour of my dark night
Come, come secretly
On the disoriented shore of my dreams.
The downpour of my dark night.
Oh, the inner treasure of darkness
Do shroud my heart and soul.
Don’t want, I don't want
I don't want either the sun or the star.
The downpour of my dark night.
When all are lost in deep slumber
Do come and rob me of my sleep.
Come silently in the lonely room as a melody
And make a response to my tears.
The downpour of my dark night.
Translation of Tagore song Amar Nishitho Raater Badal Dhara.
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15
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Two Leaves and a Bud
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Posted:Dec 21, 2020 7:29 am
Last Updated:Oct 11, 2022 7:36 am 32517 Views
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Two Leaves and a Bud --Reposted.
While having breakfast in the morning, many of us like to drink at least a cup of tea to start the day’s work. Tea is one of the most sought-after hot beverages in the world now.
Legend has it that tea originated in China almost 5000 years ago. Emperor Shen Nung, who ruled China in the 28th century BC, is credited with the discovery of tea. The year of discovery of tea is believed to be 2738 BC,
Emperor Nung is the first person who sniffed the fragrant brew and drunk with pleasure.
Being a Benevolent Ruler, he decided to share the wondrous brew with his subjects, and tea was born!
Tea was first considered a medicinal herb and was infused from green untreated leaves. In later years, the Chinese found its better uses, and once found, tea was on the path of popularity.
From the beginning of the 8th century, tea became integral to the lives of the rich and privileged people of South Asian countries, especially China and Japan. It was then no more a drink; it became a symbol of hospitality and a ceremony.
My homeland, Bangladesh is the 10th largest tea growing country in the world. The largest and the first commercial tea plantation in the Indian sub-continent was located in Malnicherra in the Sylhet district of Bangladesh. It was established in 1849 on 1500 acres of land. The country has now a total number of 163 tea estates.
How tall a tea plant could grow if not disturbed? It will grow into a tree of up to 16 m (52 ft). However, cultivated plants are pruned to waist height for ease of plucking. Only the top 1-2 inches of matured plants are picked.
Workers who pick tea on plantations unfortunately usually face exploitations. It is widely reported that they are being often exploited by the plantation owners. Workers are underpaid and usually earn below the living wage. In my country, 75% of plantation workers are women.
Tea contains catechins, a type of antioxidant. It also contains amino acid L-theanine and small amounts of Theobromine and Theophylline. Tea does not contain Tannic Acid.
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21
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Connecting with Nature
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Posted:Nov 28, 2020 6:53 am
Last Updated:Oct 6, 2023 5:00 am 32035 Views
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Kanchenjunga From Tetulia, Bangladesh.
Since time immemorial, during this time of the year, those of us who love to view the splendors of nature from far off, visit Tetulia, a small town located in the northernmost corner of Bangladesh to enjoy the beauty of the snow-capped white mountains of Kanchenjunga.
Kanchenjunga, a part of the Himalayan range, is the third highest mountain in the world. It is located 157 km away from Tetulia in between the borders of the Indian province of Sikkim and Nepal.
Each year, visitors from various countries of the world travel to Darjeeling, a city of West Bengal, India which is also known as the ‘ of Himalaya’ to view the beauty of Kanchenjunga. However, Visitors from different parts of my country where I live do not need to fly to Darjeeling to enjoy the splendor and unmatched beauty of Kanchenjunga. The white snow-capped mountain is visible to our naked eyes during this time from Tetulia when the sky is cloudless. And the time is from mid-October to mid-November, every year!
Here below, ten pictures of Kanchenjunga mountains as seen from Tetulia taken by visitors can be seen by the interested readers of this blog.
Happy viewing!
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18
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From across the Ocean!
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Posted:Nov 14, 2020 5:17 am
Last Updated:Nov 7, 2023 3:05 am 27400 Views
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Message from someone lost!
"Such a stubborn one
He who wanted to take away
Your griefs and pains!
He may not be there beside you
In your happy days.
Tell him
if you suddenly feel like crying!"
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15
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The eternal quest of the lost love!
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Posted:Jul 11, 2020 5:34 am
Last Updated:Oct 6, 2023 5:07 am 28257 Views
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When did I surge out chanting your name?
That was not today, not today.
Forgot, from when have I been yearning for you?
That was not today, not today.
Like the spring flowing out
Not knowing whom it wants
I arrived traversing along with the flow of life.
That was not today, not today.
By how many names have I called thee
By how many ways have I painted thy image
In what joyous delight have I wandered not knowing the goal
That was not today, not today.
Like the flower waiting for light
Unknowingly remains awake throughout the night,
My heart longs constantly for you.
That was not today, not today.
"Kobe ami bahir holem" by R N Tagore. Translated from Bengali to English by me for someone whom I adore.
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11
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The Old man and the unseen tiny life form!
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Posted:Jun 7, 2020 8:07 am
Last Updated:Apr 10, 2023 8:56 am 28596 Views
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Lives or Livelihood!
I am one of the 170 million people living in a country known to be the eighth most populous country in the world, which accounts for 2.1% of the world's population. My country is an exceptionally densely populated one. It is therefore not unnatural that ‘lives or livelihood’ is the conflict that is now hunting our nation like other nations worldwide!
The photo posted below of an old elderly Rickshaw-puller, who was out in the deserted street of the city of Dhaka where I live, to find a passenger for making a living every day during the recent enforced shutdown of the entire country! The picture depicts that earning a livelihood is more important to this elderly struggling Rickshaw-puller than the dreaded unseen tiny virus that can infect him even though he has covered himself in his bright orange protective gear!
This unseen tiny lifeform has apparently failed to keep this elderly human confined in his house. He is out for making a living to feed himself and the members of his family.
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