Sindbad

Suave velvet days are over, it's time for a new voyage, 
I hear the call of the salty sea,
Foamy moon-white coronet floats on the mighty wave-tops, 
Mountain-high surges bring in summons of briny waters;

Time to set sail for a new cruise, oh dear voyager Sindbad!

Ah, after a long wait dark agate-spread journey 
Beneath the blue horizon has beckoned us back,
Summoned us to the meridian of life and death 
Who knows which way the tide will tug us in our trip!

This blunted heart drifts deep within sandal and camphor woods, 
As if stone-hard ebony's attired in ivory,
Eyes fall into slumber by the fiery wind from pipul forest; 
Daring sea-eagle swoops into the ocean-hammam.

Suave velvet days were being spent in sleek enjoyments, 
Yet the urge for unknown voyage has hit the haven, 
Finish mending the howdah, fix it on your elephant, Mahut; 
It's time you all put on blue naval dress armoured to fight. 
In fury rises the black waters like a colossal monster, 
In the face of waves floats the white boat, 
Know not which tide will bring us the miseries 
Or where'll the new bright rays of dawn reveal; 
Where the ship will be marooned once again,
How many more days to float on a plank in the sea;
Know not, don't even care, for the blue sea's summoned us! 
Steering the ship towards the fierce flickering horizon,
We the militant youths, plough through deep waters with our oars, 
The sun sways over our heads and the moon gives its shade; 
Hurricanes and storms ransack our boat's deck;
Yet fearless we row across the sea-tides round the year. 
Youthful age often impels inept smile of manhood 
Reckoning, only frail cowards can drink life to the lees, 
How surprising to us! Gliding our boat over the surfs 
We've gathered fresh fragrance of life each and every day.

Darting through labyrinth of waves we get lost in the whirlpool, 
Starving to death we devour grass and gnaw looking up at the sky, 
We burn the eyes of the tyrant and smash the crown of the sinner; 
And see a green blanket of dream stretched out on the sea. 
Cursing the ill-omened temptations of thousands of islands 
We tug away the course of our boat—
All our life we've found aplenty evil blended with good, 
Deep in the darkness we see nightly glimmers of light. 
And at times gusty wind hitting the coconut branches
Soothes all our tiredness, and we carol ghazals, 
We spend all night with youthful dreamy delight
As our tipsiness gets over, we feel a new day is dawned.

Amassing crimson, topaz and ruby-filled days, 
We've once more sailed for the ruthless and unachievable,
The boat slashes through the heart of the sea, with dreams desirous; 
Time for cruising the fresh waters, O the steersman Sindbad!

Fearless seamen have been beckoned by the sea to set sail today 
Swayed by the boozy feat of triumph in the obscure desert 
Deceptive death swathes their mind and body,
Once again in the filthy suburbs tip toe suspicions,
Venomous sighs impel life to shriek whines of disgust again 
Now is the hour to voyage in new waters, O the steersman Sindbad

Ripping the heart of the dark sea as black as agate
Let's venture to find the sandal woods in mysterious islands, 
The oars strike the salty waters to seek ways to destruction,
Keep away from the trap of pleasure-nights,
In the stone-piled seaside, oh, where death awaits all, 
A camphor-like new life is calling you Sindbad!

The night of hesitation is over now,
We've spent days in mellow leisure and desires,
Wrists are rusted; the crown's lost its spark.
Today is the day to pierce through the bellowing sea, 
Break out of these velvet-shaded days;
Shed off the mourning-attire to put on the blue naval dress.

We don't die, the dry land merely looks on dreadfully,
As the sea summons us, in an instant our misgivings vanish, 
And dawns the azure day;
The sailing trek stretches out through the horizon of waves.

We amass diamond, plunder pearls and red rubies, 
From within tranquil strong-hold we pick gaudy corals, 
The rest are shackled lifeless old unaspiring men 
Wine-addicts! We hurl stones to smash their crowns. 
Sleepless we listen to varied concerts of the running stream 
They splash out on the mid-sea and undulate the ship, 
We young rebel sailors receive myriads of telling omens 
We aren't scared of drifting on the wave-top like a straw. 
When the thunder calms down, appears the moon in the deep sea 
In the core of his heart the voyager Sindbad bashes his head!

Flouting its love for the land the moon is in the sky today, 
Doughty sea tides crush the barriers of sand,
Shaking away the velvety-fatigue of the pleasure-laden night, 
Set your sail in new waters, O the voyager Sindbad!

Abdus Selim is an academic, writer and translator. He teaches English language and literature at Central Women's University. Email: selimminubd@gmail.com.