Jibanananda Das (1899-1954) is one of the most important poets of Bengal. Nevertheless, he remains a poet little known outside West Bengal and Bangladesh. Perhaps due to the absence of competent translations into English and other languages, Das achievement as a poet remains unrepresented in world literature. This selection of poems is designed to emphasize how Das's poems are great treasures of our literature through the medium of translation. Fakrul Alam's uniquely competent English translations were done originally mark the birth centenary celebrations of Jibanananda Das this year (1999). In this second edition, he has translated a few more poems to show even more fully the range of Das's verse. Lovers of poetry outside the Bengali-speaking world should get a sense of the richness of Das's poetry, his growth as a poet, and the extraordinary range of his work through these translations.