Feb 21, 2024

মই নিচাসক্ত (I am an addict)

a confession, a poem.

মই এজন নিচাসক্ত যুৱক 
পঢ়াৰ বাবে, শিকাৰ বাবে, 
বুদ্ধিৰ ভোক পলোৱা হল মোৰ নিচা। 
উৎসুকটা মোৰ সংগিনী, 
আৰু মই, নিচাসক্ত ।

মই এজন নিচাসক্ত ভাবুক 
পুৱা-ৰাতি উঠি ভবা হল মোৰ নিচা। 
জনাৰ তাড়নাত, বিচৰাৰ তাড়নাত, 
কত কি পাও, কোনে জানে? 
সেই বাবে, মই নিচাসক্ত।

মই এজন নিচাসক্ত শিক্ষক 
চক পেঞ্চিল নুচুলে মই ম্লান হয় পৰো। 
শিকোৱা হল মোৰ নিচা। 
উন্নতি এ মোৰ গুৰুদক্ষিনা, 
মানৱতা বচাই ৰাখিবলৈ, 
মই নিচাসক্ত।

মই এজন নিচাসক্ত লিখক 
বহি-কলম মোৰ মাদক দ্ৰব্য, 
কাগজত চিয়াহীৰ চাপে মোক সঁহাৰি দিয়ে। 
সমান্তৰাল ভাবে যায় মোৰ লিখনি আৰু বিপ্লৱ, 
এনেদৰেই মই নিচাসক্ত।

নাই, ওহো, নহব! 
নালাগে মোক গগন চুম্বী অট্টালিকা, 
নালাগে মোক ধন, 
কৰি দিয়া মাথোঁ মোৰ নিচাৰ ইচ্ছা পূৰণ, 
মোৰ এই নিচাতেই মগ্ন হবৰ আছে মন, 
কাৰণ, ম‌ই নিচাসক্ত।

about this poem #

This poem is very close to my heart. This poem is me. It is the confession of my addiction to learning, gaining knowledge, curiosity, thinking, teaching and writing. And I found that I could express it only in my native tongue Assamese.

I had never thought I would write something in Assamese, as I wasn't very "connected" with it. Recently, I started reading some Assamese literature and I was delighted. I understood the actual value. Maybe I will write about all this someday.

Anyway, this was my first endeavour in writing Assamese literature. Many more to go (I hope).

a literal translation #

There's no point in reading "translated poetry" since all the euphemisms and nuances are lost in the process. You're NOT supposed to. I just didn't want to keep (some of) you in the dark, at least you'll be able to get the gist. You can skip it of course:

I am an addicted man,
To study, to learn
Satisfying intellect's hunger is my addiction.
Curiosity is my partner,
And I am, an addict.

I am an addicted thinker,
Waking up at dawn to think is my addiction.
With tremendous desire to find and learn,
Who knows what I might find?
Thus, I am an addict.

I am an addicted teacher,
I feel despair when unable to touch a chalk.
Teaching is my addiction.
Development is my 'Gurudakshina' (tribute paid to a teacher),
To save humanity,
I am an addict.

I am an addicted writer,
Paper-pencil are my narcotics,
The ink stains gives me solace.
My writings and revolution go parallelly,
That's how, I am an addict.

No, uhuh, nay!
I don't need skyscrapers,
I don't need money,
Just fulfill my wish to be addicted,
I only want to indulge in my addiction.
Because, I am an addict.