Anjalee Basumatary - Bodo

Anjalee Basumatary 

Bontho Murani Epitaph(Bodo language)

                               

Nwi be

Siphaijanai jaharni

Bontho murafra

War cemetery*ni

Mungkhlong khamphafwrbadi

Thong thong gosongnanwi dong.

 

Nathai beo gwiya

War cemeteryni

Bwi mungdangkha epitaph:

When you go home

Tell them of us and say

For their tomorrow 

We gave our today. 

 

Chlorophyll arw jiu gwiywi

Bontho murafra

Hakhou gwkhrwngwi homthananwi dong

Raogwiywi epitaph phwrmainw:

Mungkhlong janangbai jwng

Nehath jahwnao,

Un jwlwiyakhi 

Sonani be buhumkhou

Rwikha khalamnai nonga?

—--- × —--

*Kohima War Cemetery

THE EPITAPH OF STUMPS ( English translation)

                          —Anju 

The stumps in this denuded forest

Stand like the blocks

Of a war cemetery – 

Sad and silent.

 

But you don’t see

The epitaphs on them,

There is nothing to read like this:

When you go home

Tell them of us and say

For your tomorrow

We gave our today.*

 

Deprived of chlorophyll and life

These sticking stumps

Hold on to the land

To say the silent epitaph:

We have been sacrificed

For a futile cause. 

Will not the future generations

Rescue the earth 

This golden land of their abode?

—---- × —---- × —----

*Inscription at Kohima War Cemetery in Nagaland of India

 

 

Gwsw Thaoa Thaoa( Bodo language)

                         

Binifrai

Narathiliao saglwbnw hombaimwn mwnwbilia

Saikhongfrabw jeno thangfinbaimwn

Surnanwi gwlwo gwlao agan

 

Oblasimbw

Manwisw mwsou mukhubmwn gangsw janaiao

Janaggou jwbakhwimwn ukhwinai lubwinai

Janangou mablababw ohaya

Sanframbwni baruru nunaibadi janai arw saolenai

Thig jerwi hanthilamayao jiuni hanthinai daobainai

Thangfinnaini lamaya jaywkhwma bebadinw

Jwbwr baruru, harsing, aladinga, gwbrab

Bikhainwtho thafaya raobw lwgwri saikhongbadi

 

Dose unaonw phiritsigwn emphoufwra

Dose unao

Jwngsigwn rithi rithao sanggremafwr

Arw dose unaonw

Okhafwra lamfwigwn mayanang okhabling

 

Dohai belasiyaosw khaimayao gwjwmnai

Dwimani bikha jagwn ruphathi

—--×—-×—-

 

UNFULFILLED DESIRE (English translation)

And then

The evening engulfed the brown stubble

Of the paddy field

The shadows too returned as if

Walking at long paces

 

Till then

A few cattle were still busy grazing

May be their hunger was not fulfilled,

May be they were never satisfied.

Grazing and cud chewing every day

Seemed like a boring journey of life.

Perhaps the road of return is boring, lonely and difficult

And nobody accompanies one like the shadow

In the back journey of life.

 

After a little while

The crickets will sing

The fireflies will flicker,

And after a while,

The moon will spread its magical beam

 

And the river that was soaked in blue a while ago

Will become silver white.

—---- × —---- × —----

 

Bio: Anjalee Basumatary

*Pen name: Anju

*Hails from Kokrajhar, the headquarter of Bodoland Territorial Council in Assam of India.

*Teaches Physics in a college at Kokrajhar in Assam of India.

*Writes poetry in Bodo language.

*Has six collections of poems and one collection of prose.

*Awards:

1.    "Rangsar Award", highest award of Bodo Sahitya Sabha, the foremost literary organization of the Bodos in 2002 

2.    "Sahitya Akademi" of Govt of India in 2016

3.    "Pramod Chandra Literary Award" of Bodoland Territorial Council in 2017

*At present member of Bodo Advisory Board of Sahitya Akademi.

*At present President of Bodo Women Writers Association. 

*Has taken major role in forming Bodo Women Writers Association and    publishing its quarterly magazine named "Gambari"

*Has taken active role in publishing anthologies of poetry, short story and essay of Bodo women writers.

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Indigenous Voices of India :: Setu, November 2022