চলে যাওয়া মানে প্রস্থান নয়

Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah

To depart does not mean a mere exit—nor a final severance;
To depart does not mean the severing of bonds on a tear-drenched night.
Even when I am gone, something of me will linger
In the space where I no longer exist.
I know everyone must bow before the ultimate truth—
Life is beautiful;
The sky and air, the mountains and seas,
Nature cradled in lush greenery—all are beautiful;
And most beautiful of all is this very act of living.
Yet, can one live forever?
The *shehnai* of farewell plays,
The palanquin arrives at the doorstep to bear one away;
Leaving this beautiful world—
Where I once lived—
One must carry away a deep sigh,
Journeying—all of us—
Towards an unknown destination.
Suddenly, an unknown bird calls out;
I startle, caught unawares—
Has life, then, come to an end?
In this very way, everyone will go; everyone must go…