Blinded Eyes Looted Dreams
100 Selected Poems of Mahadev Saha
Translated by Fatema Zohra Haque
Mahadev Saha started to write poetry in the 60s, which, by all accounts, was one of the most formative periods in our literature and the arts. The modernist ethos of the 60s created in our poets, writers and artists an urge to excel in all things modern. Translating Mahadev Saha's poems into English is no easy task; indeed, a less than faithful translation might tone down his appeal, taking away the richness of his poetry and the variety of moods that he evokes in his poems. Mahadev Saha's lyrics have been described as 'lyrics of feelings; the world they project is often idyllic and romantic, but behind the usual exuberance of emotion lies the bitterness and desolation that life seems to offer to any feeling individual.
The centre of his world is occupied by the suffering soul of a poet who is alternately Mahadev Saha himself, and a demanding lover who thrives in his passion. Mahadev Saha is pained to see the devastation of the world by war, but is quickly redeemed by his faith in love. Blinded Eyes, Looted Dreams the book of translation- a collection of 100 poems about love, separation, loneliness, dejection, war and nature selected from Kobita Shomogro part 2 by the translator herself.
Fatema Zohra Haque was born on 19 November. She did her BA (Hons). MA in English literature from Dhaka University. She was a student of Viqarunnisa Noon School and after her MA she went back to the old familiar-campus of VNS as an English teacher. She has written on various issues specially on arts and literature in our front ranking dailies. Blinded Eyes, Looted Dreams is her first published book.
