Binoy Majumdar
My friend Anand Bora has turned me onto the late Bharat (India) poet Binoy Majumdar. Today I have selected Three mathematics related poems by that were taken off of the website at this link. These were translated into English by Aryanil Mukherjee
flowers have no room for geometry or even its traces
they are all mixed up into a singular mess
geometry makes the landscape
all those lines we use in poems
from time immemorial have these poems existed
like serene mathematics
lying in an unseen corner
awaiting discovery this autumn evening
in the Bakul grove under faint moonlight
length, weight and time - these three worldly units
are talked about too often
like there's nothing else in the can...
also a unit that measures light, or
how audible are you could be measured too
in our world, man-day is another unit
5 comments:
Great poems, Kaz. I especially love the middle one.
Thanks Todd,
Yes, I like them too ... number one is my fav
Cheers!
K
Yes, Mathematical concepts are the extraordinary aspects in the poems of Binoy Majumder. Such ideas were in early bengali poetry. Some how it was aliniated & binoy successfully recovered it. I have written number of articles analysing mathematical aspects in Binoy's poetry. Those were published in Kabitirtha, Kabita Pratimashe, Path 0 Prantar, Bibriti etc. Professor N.C. Ghosh, ghoshnc@rediffmail.com
Thanks for you comments Professor!
Binoy Majumer has used mathematical concepts in his poetry. Legacy is, usually poets avoid mathematics; and therefore, he was not properly understood by the Begali poets and Binoy was not most popular one, though exceptional. During last few years Professor Narayan Ch Ghosh, mathematician, has analysed his poems from mathematical stand point. He has written number of articles in different journals. Those extra-ordinary writings have opened a new window for assessment of Binoy from different point. Now revaluation has started.
Professor has written article on phire esho, chaka contradicting the concept 'a funny truncation of Gayatri’s surname'. Analysing the then social conditions Ghosh says Chaka pragatir pratik (Wheel is symbol of progress) which Binoy called to come back to steer social movement for progress. According to Binoy all progress is manifestation of extreme love.
Sarmistha Biswas
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