Stanzas of Summer and Spring

Baisakhey Rochito Pangtimala is an autobiographical long poem by Syed Shamsul Haq which came out in 1969 and stood out both due to its innovative form and dramatic and unusual content. It was published as Bengalis were celebrating the victory of the street agitation against Pakistani ruler Gen. Ayub Khan. It was arguably the golden era of Bangla poetry if not literature and the poem reflects the idea of the time that the spirit of art is also an agent of social and personal change. The poem is largely a poet's conversation with himself on his own self. The random images and imageries arrive on the pages like a screaming train where they are almost like scenes quickly glanced from a window to be enjoyed for a brief moment before moving on to the next scene. The poet brings all of his life together on the pages through such random and fragmented views giving us glimpses of hope and despair, struggle and defeat, rebellion and loss, love and break up, all within the framework of the splendor of his first love, Bengal. About Translator: Afsan Chowdhury is a bilingual journalist, researcher and author. He has translated Bengali poems to English for over three decades. This is his third book of translation.