In my deep sleep, you came, my love—
I bowed down to you and adored you.
In Shravan clouds dances Notobor,
in Shravan clouds he keeps dancing
to the rhythm, in ecstasy.
Sitting close, you bestowed kisses,
you landed deep kisses on my eyes.
In a trance my feature beamed,
my frame effloresced—
O my flower, the peerless beauty, my love.
I offered you all flowers from the garden,
all the flowers from my inner Arden,
O my heart, my soul, my god.
But you didn't accept the flowers,
you didn't embrace my worship.
Tranced and dazed,
you untied my flower-studded bun.
You flitted away for what I emitted in a dream,
you left for my babbles in a dream.
I woke up and called out my god, weeping,
I called him with eyes moist with tears— 
O my love, my soul, my heart.
In my deep sleep, you came, my love . . . 

Translated from Bangla by Mohammad Shafiqul Islam.

Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, poet, translator, and academic, is Professor, Department of English, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet.

DESIGN: MAISHA SYEDA