Darling's Hand Poem by Prem Narayan Nath

From the finger with joints I have known
The finger is of whose hand.
From the gold ring have I known
The ring is from whose hand.
My beloved's hand
Is it not my darling's hand
It twinkles in the metal-mirrored moon-light
That graces Phagun*

Smelling of dreams
Whose palm
Draped with Keteki**
Whose gun-studded hand
My dearest's hand
Is it not my dearest heart's hand
It twinkles in the metal-mirrored moon-light
That graces Phagun

I have known from the intaken breath
I have known from the outgoing breath
Whose hand is this which sounds
the buffalo horn pipe
In light have I known
In dark Have I known
Whose is this hand which plays the flute in moon light
My dearest's hand, my darling's hand
It must be my dearest heart
It twinkles in the metal-mirrored moon light
that graces Phagun.




Translated by Ajit Barua


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Phagun= The eleventh month of the Assamese year,
roughly corresponding to 15 th Feb to 15 th March.

Keteki = Pandamus odoratissimus