Guna Moran's Poems in Nirendra Nath Thakuria's Translation

Faith

Like the mercury in a thermometer

Faith too goes up and down

This morning one haggled 

over faith at my home

Hunting here and there on the round earth

he came to me upset

and asked one thousand rupees

I too am not stinking rich

Every month I’ve saved money 

To buy a dress for my better-half

My wife knows me well

if I buy the dress after some days it will do

But if I disappoint the man who has come to me 

for help with the faith

that would be lost

I thought it over and

held out the one thousand rupees

On impulse my wife held me 

in her arms and said

This morning itself

You’ve planted the saplings of faith

Well done 

Translated from Assamese by Nirendra Nath Thakuria

The Pet Bird

Fly away oh bird

The iron cage

I’ve opened

Fly away

to the twig 

of your chosen tree 

Fly away oh bird

At will I’ve let you 

come out of the cage

Do fly away 

far into the distance out of sight

Fly away oh bird

I’ve  picked you up 

and put you on the house top

Do fly away

Perched on the ridge

what are you looking around

Do you know how many springs slipped away

while you were in the cage

Do you know whether your buddies 

are dead or alive

Are you scared of 

being swallowed by the vastness of the whole sky

if you lift your eyes

Fly away oh bird  do fly away

Why are you looking at me and not flying

Suddenly you’ve flown back 

and perched on the hand

of this cruel man who kept you in captivity so long

You seem tamer than before

Oh my dear bird

is it your kindness to 

or pity for me

From now on you’ll be looking for me

in life and in death

From now on I’ll live for your sake

From now on the cage has no use at all

Translated from Assamese by Nirendra Nath Thakuria