TO SOME EXTENT, a collection of English Poems by Pratyusha Sarkar ©PratyushaSarkar First Publish: December 25,2021. Published by PRODIGY PUBLISHED.

Email: prodigypublished@gmail.com

Website: prodigy-life-program.myshopify.com

Cover Design: Pratyusha Sarkar

Availability: prodigy-life-program.myshopify.com

US$1.99

Book review:

This book in front of you is not ''just another poetry book'', it is more than a work of art, it is also a work of a slavic polyglot, a collection of poems in four different slavic languages. Therefore it is a novelty in literature, expanding the boundaries of language and expression. It is a work of art, a work of the heart, a work of Slavic brotherhood and a synergy of four different slavic languages. This collection of poems is therefore a poetic bridge of friendship and of mutual understanding between the slavic peoples. I warmly recommend this book to all readers who speak Russian, Belarusian, Serbian or Slovenian. You will be delighted and find yourself in the mirrors of the authors poetic expression.

Slovenian poet
Dejan Živko

Author's biography:

Russian-speaking poet, prose writer, and translator Kristina Anastasia Veras Brzin was born with a disability in Ljubljana, Slovenia on July 9, 1987. She uses a wheelchair. Three months after her birth, her parents separated, and her grandmother, Tatjana, took care of Kristina Anastasia. The rest of the relatives were ashamed of her due to her disability. Art was always present in her family, as her grandfather, Bogomir Veras, was an actor in the theater in the city of Celje. As a child, she loved reading poems by various authors and started writing poetry herself at the age of ten. At eleven, she began learning to play the Slovenian folk instrument, the zither, in music school. She continued writing poetry in Slovenian and later graduated from high school in Ljubljana. Due to health issues, she stopped engaging in creative activities for several years but resumed writing poetry at the age of 24 in 2011. That same year, she met her current husband, Luka Brzin, who also writes poetry in Slovenian and English. Her poetry has been published in several collections and literary societies. Kristina Anastasia has written multiple books of poetry and prose in Russian, including "The Road to Myself" and "Girl with Brown Eyes." Her work has been translated into numerous languages, and she has received several literary awards. She is a member of various literary associations and has participated in international literary festivals.

Preface

Parveen Shahnaz is writing poems for the last 20 years, and so far, she has published four books of poems. This list includes Touching the Seawater, The Desolate Cloud, Water Collected on Folded Palms and The Ironclad Family of Stars. The titles of her books are quite poetic, and they resonate rhythmic sound affirming Shahnaz is predominantly a poet by heart. Her creative works, I am sure, have already drawn attention of the circle of poets and poetry-lovers in the country. In the present bilingual book, she has presented selected poems both in Bangla and their translation in English. This will bring laurels for her from home and abroad. I have found most of Shahnaz’s poems are one page in length and not overloaded with theory or concepts. These are more emotional in tone and written from heart, not head. These features perfectly match with what Buddhadeb Basu had prescribed as ideal forms of poetry to the poets of his time. As I read, I find love is the central theme of Shahnaz’s poetry. The lines are spontaneous flow of emotion. This course is both dynamic and vibrant. I am sure the true readers of poetry will surely feel the touch of her writings and discover their inner beauty. I am confident that this book would find a good readership among the connoisseurs of poetry. I wish the writing career of Parveen Shahnaz fly from good to great!

Abul Kashem Fazlul Huq Former Professor, University of Dhaka

Introduction

I know Parveen Shahnaz from her engagement with a social organization with which I am also associated as its Chief Advisor. I used to know that she writes poetry and has published several books of poems. Occasionally she presented one or two of her books to me for reading. Her association with a socially committed organization is a manifestation of her collective awareness. As I browsed through the pages of her poetry books, I have found the same social commitment and awareness in her writings. The lines are simple and rhythmic. The words are so unrestrained that a reader won’t have to struggle with the dictionary to find their meanings. As a professor of mass communication and journalism, I used to teach subjects that deals with human lives, their struggle and thirst for freedom. Literature depicts all these aspects of human lives in subtle way. Poetry, we know, is the smost articulate form of literature where a poet uses metaphors, similes, images etc., to express deeper feelings and realizations. I have found these features in Shahnaz’s poetry. The canvas of Parveen Shahnaz contains many colours. Her subjects range from love for beloved to love for humanity, from nature to relationship, from rural settings to urban complexities. Many of her poems have inner cadence and splendor. I wish her more sucess!

AAMS Arefin Siddique Former Vice Chancellor, University of Dhaka

POETRY WITHOUT BORDERS
(Sub- title )Best Poems of the World
CONTENT PAGE FOREWORD ABOUT THE ENGLISH TRANSLATORS 1. GERMAIN DROOGENBROODT 2. STANLEY BARKAN ABOUT THE HINDI TRANSLATOR JYOTIRMAYA THAKUR
76 POEMS in Hindi & English Translation.
FOREWORD
The importance of poetry translations The American poet Robert Frost asserted that poetry is what gets lost in translation. Unfortunately, that happens quite often. Linguists and literary critics might know everything about their language, but are they able to bring a poem safely from one language to the other? Izet Sarajlic, one of the most important Servo-Croatian poets (Bosnian), asked in one of his excellent poems, “Why do critics not write poetry, if they do know so much about it?” Translating poetry is recreating poetry. The Germans call it correctly nachdichten, not übersetzen. The problem is that most poets only care about the promotion of their own poetry. For poets writing in a marginal language like Dutch, to find a capable translator is in many cases impossible. Which Arab, Chinese, Korean, or even German or Italian poet-translator knows Dutch or Danish or Polish? But even excellent poets writing in French or in Spanish have not been translated. Every poetry lover knows García Lorca, because he was murdered by Franco’s followers, or Neruda, because he was a diplomat. But who knows the poetry of Miguel Hernández whose best poem can compete with Lorca’s? Who knows the poetry of the best Spanish poets of the Generation of the Fifties: José Ángel Valente or Francisco Brines, the latter who, 88 years old, just received the Premio Cervantes, the “Spanish Nobel Prize of Literature ''?
But, in spite of these difficulties, the translation of poetry, that rare firefly of literature was and remains important. How poor would be without the verses of the poets as they hold their finger at the artery of their people, write about their joys, their hopes and their misfortunes as did Homer, as did *Mahmud Darwish about the suffering of the Palestinians, Juan Gelman about the disappeared in Argentina, Paul Celan about the killing of Jews by the Nazis?
When I was fourteen, I got the bicycle I had been saving money for, a vehicle I had earned by myself, which would allow me to discover other counties. No more than two weeks later, with a friend of the same age, we left our small rural village. After cycling about 100 kilometers, we arrived at Brussels, the capital city of Belgium. To our surprise, most of the people there did nor speak Flemish but French. The next day, we drove to Holland, although with a strange accent, they spoke our language. From Holland, we drove to Germany where we camped by the Rhine, where again I noticed that no one spoke Flemish. Those experiences, the limitation of my local language, and my interest to discover other cultures and countries induced me to study languages. Studying in Brussels, I could lend books, mainly poetry, from English, French, and German libraries. I discovered the poetry of those countries and devoured books like Americans devour hamburgers. Later, by car, I visited other European countries. Having read the most important German poets, including Goethe’s Mignon, I was in love with Italy before having visited it. But, although I had already studied French, English, and German, I had problems conversing with Italians. Only a few seemed to speak English or French. So I also studied Italian, and, since I later moved to Spain, also Spanish. It has been those experiences which convinced me how important languages, including translations, are for human understanding.
Therefore, to do something, however little for a more humane world, for a better understanding between people, to offer foreign poets, especially those of hardly or rarely translated languages, the possibility to be read by Flemish and Dutch readers and to offer to these readers the possibility to read the works of modern foreign poets, I founded in 1984 a small, noncommercial publishing house, POINT (Poetry International). The title of the first book, a verse by a Korean poet, was Waves, What Shall I Do?, a selection of international modern poetry. More than 80 publications would follow: poetry from Argentine, Austria, Bosnia, Chile, Croatia, India, Iran, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Italy, Austria, Palestine, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Taiwan.
Germain Droogenbroodt

It took me a while to get into the poetry of B.Narsing Rao, because this poet needs you to slow down a lot to follow him on the steps he takes into the magnificent world of inspiration. Certainly, it is not the first of his endeavors, because he has in the past read, written, directed films and won many awards. Therefore, I suspect that poetry must have been a secret love, a kind of love you admit only when you have nothing more to lose and you just give in to the temptation of telling the world your most precious and most inner thoughts and secrets. This kind of confession is the deepest and most meaningful of all, this is why he has very carefully produced a screenplay of poetry. Every one of his poems is like a short film and the whole collection is a homage to life itself.
This poetry book of B.Narsing Rao consists of 25 poems, which are leading the reader to a retreat into nature, going back to treasured memories, as well as taking them to a philosophical thinking approach to life and death. He has carefully grafted a path where he picks up the reader and then takes him very slowly, through the whole book on a quest of an internal journey to self-awareness, real treasures and the meaning of life. But that’s not all, poetry itself is a special love that some people never confess, some confess it very late because it shows all the sensitivity that runs through the person who writes it. Poetry is a declaration of the soul, its deepest depths which most of us rather keep a secret, like a very special love affair, or a lost opportunity to love. Right from the first poem B.Narsing Rao speaks to the reader from his point of view, which does have a very personal note. His poetic voice is clearly inspired by his life experience. He takes a calm approach to every theme discussed in this book, slowing the readers mind down and altering his and her perception in the first few poems, so that he can slowly introduce later on more and more of his view. B.Narsing Rao starts with a sense of love and respect in the very first poem which reflects on the Genesis of Life itself. With this instant connection he melts the heart of the reader in a very simple, yet very natural way and gets his attention for the rest of the book:
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Man, meeting woman Is nothing but universal. Sacred and pure Ever since the very beginning. ... Their hearts shall melt fusing into one... ...The communion That secretes a healthy relationship Should never be doubted; For, it is so very natural And never to be forced upon.
This is a love poem which at the same teaches very discretely that love “should never be forced” because it cannot be forced anyway. It comes naturally to the people and they accept it as is. It is perceived more like an observation than a teaching. The book is full of such subtle and deep messages throughout. The reader gets the feeling like there is the voice of a wise man talking but without putting any pressure on the reader.
“...I can write,/ paint, compose music and dance... To see invisible things, / to know the unknown, / immaterial things. Isn’t that what life is all about?”
It is a friendly walk on the very ground of human nature, where the poet is not afraid to get his feet soaked in the truth of life and death, in the circle of life. The poet’s focus is on what brings comfort in his life, where he gained happiness and inspiration from. All elements of nature are playing a big part in most of the poems of this poetic collection: the air, the birds the flowers, the landscapes or even the sky and the orbiting planets and stars absorb all his attention and he sees the real treasures of life in nature’s beauty and in precious moments spend with loved ones:
“There is so much wealth around us, the rising Sun in the morning, the glorious Sunset, the innocence in the smile of a child, the affectionate touch of the elders. Nothing can be more precious...”
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The way the poet writes is very simple but it touches the reader very deeply. At times it seems almost familiar, because he steps into connotations that remind of the great poets of last century like the German poet Goethe when he talks about the laws of nature:
“...The laws of Nature, are so very exciting, every morning is a new one; never shall it repeat itself, as what has gone, shall never be back; only to be fresh and every second...
...Looking at it all carefully, There is never any monotony, I only have to look for spaces in between, As it leaves enough room for innovation...”
The poet is looking everywhere for new and exciting poetic inspiration, even in problematic situations, which life throws at people unexpectedly, or unwanted.
“The tragedy is that we all desire to be supreme; Greater even than Nature, A game from which we will never win, For, some victories, Are followed by a series of defeats, Which will never be digested; A duel between man and man, Or between man and Nature, Continues day after day...”
Friendships and relationships are a big theme in the collection, they are the most treasured value in many poems, which are “giving our soul the joy of living” and reflecting on the way the people could actually perceive time as a fountain of youth:
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“The wheel of time is in perpetual motion, Our memories Past and present, Follow its rhythm, Stored in every corner, To make us younger and younger.”
In the poem “Another face of Heaven” it is the sense of passion and happiness which gives the poet the most thrill:
“Happiness is exhilarating, and joy is divine... Being passionate... the heart will beat wildly... eager to spread the message of joy, As you are, a devoted servant of humanity.”
Even in the poems he doesn’t talk about love there is the scent of it in the air, with the details he describes nature’s beings, the insects, or the landscape. He fills his poetic canvases with great pictures like the “dance of the whispering wind” or the butterflies which “inject life into everything they touch” “the green carpet of grass” and the “silky flowers” which are swaying in the wind, in the Garden of Eden, where birds give concerts... He captures the simplicity in all its glory. It is a conscious decision! Not because the poet doesn’t know about the raging fires across the globe or the troubles which man inflicts upon himself, but he wants to emphasize the beauty and the simplicity of nature but also the responsibility man has to protect the earth and all its creations, which is giving humankind a living ground without asking anything in exchange.
Living in the depths of our own world... As life is a challenge, And living up to one’s expectations, Is nothing short of a Herculean task... Look outside... A divine world around you,
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Just feel it For you are blessed.”
Hints of Greek Mythology show that this poet has done his homework. This isn’t the work of a young person... It’s the work of a mature individual with a personal approach. It is the work of someone who appreciates the balance, who appreciates the connections and who appreciates the work itself. The poet very well knows how to distinguish the talent from the experience, and that true success means even more work after the inspiration has struck you with all her might and you can’t avoid but take the pencil and get it down to paper. In the poem “Treasure” he starts explaining his process:
When the best ideas come, / keep them well, they come out without warning, / but fly away like a bird.”
In another poem, he reflects on how much work there is actually to be done to be successful:
“So much thought ... So much preparation Before I could play with words. Art has embraced me But what consoles me now Would never have been, Without what remains hidden... So much hard work.”
B.Narsing Rao is directing poetry like a movie, smiles and tears, phases of thinking, active and relaxing motives are following one another, making it always interesting. We see sometimes that one kind of art is spilling over to the other. A composer who just looks at verses for most of his life starts at the age of 70 plus writing his poetry book. Other people paint. And then they decide they want to write, because when they get the idea they can’t pull out the canvas to paint, but they can have a pad and a pen and write something down. B.Narsing Rao is putting a whole movie into every
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poem he attempts. Every one of the poems has an introduction, a highlight and a happy or sad ending. The reader gets pulled in. And, all the clever philosophical statements are well prepared before and set into scene with great ease.
B.Narsing Rao takes you on a poetic journey through his perception of Garden Eden, bringing consciously light and hope into our troubled lives. It is almost as if you are watching a movie, taking you from the start to the end through highs and lows of a couple which starts its life together. As the poetic journey of B.Narsing Rao’s poetic career continues, I think that the readers can hope for much more to come. To put it in the words of the poet:
“Dreams are only promises of the future...”

Xanthi Hondrou-Hil

Thanks a lot Dear Almighty for blessing me always. Thank you so much dear parents, friends, readers, well-wishers. You, all are my supporters, my dear world.  
My paradise of words, is my dear heart, full of compassions and love. There’s only one life. We have to make sure about its core of heart. We must lead it lively at each step.  
Love for all, from the deepest core of my heart.   
From Author Desk © S Afrose Dhaka, Bangladesh, (30th Dec'24). 

 Поэты и прозаики мирового уровня

чьи стихи и проза размещена в сборнике переводов

«ПОЭЗИЯ ДУШИ С ЛЮБОВЬЮ И ТЕПЛОМ»

Сборник собрал вместе поэзию

из Бангладеш, Индии, Албании, Приднестровья, Германии, Кыргыстана,

 Армении, Казахстана, Таджикистана, Азербайджана, Узбекистана, Латвии,

Республик Дагестан, Кабардино-Балкарии, Каракалпакстана.

И конечно же, стихи и переводы из Республики Беларусь.

Selected Bengali Poems for Humanity & Peace by Md Ejaj Ahamed

NIRBACHITA KABITA A Collection of Bengali Poems By Arijit Chakraborty
© Arijit Chakraborty
First Publish: January, 2022
Published by PRODIGY PUBLISHED
a literary initiative from Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Email: prodigypublished@gmail.com
Website: prodigy-life-program.myshopify.com
Cover Design: Pratyusha Sarkar
Calligraphy: Subhadip Sen Sarma
Availability: prodigy-life-program.myshopify.com

Compiled by: Sajid Hussain Title Illustrated by: Shakil Kalam Sajid Hussain Coordinators: Shakil Kalam, Shikdar Mohammad Kibriah, Anwar Rahim Shahid Abbas, Aamir Abdullah, Dr.Shalini Yadav Nasreen, Hamza Ali. Reviewed by: Shikdar Mohammad Kibriah, Anwar Rahim. Designed by: Shikdar Mohammad Kibriah, Sajid Hussain, Shakil Kalam, Aamir Abdullah, Shahid Abbas