নতুন দেশ (A New Land)
- Kunal Konar
- Aug 29
- 2 min read
Author: Barnali Kar
Contact: kar.barnali019@gmail.com
Prologue
When I first conceptualized the magazine section of Prodeeptika, I didn't have the intention to publish poetry, especially Bangla Poetry. Reason could be my personal irritation about endless Bangla Literary Effort with little magazines etc. which really don't do much good in the society. Yet here I am publishing my second poetry after first one written by Dr. Nagarajan Rajasekar and published on 27Jul2025 here: Link.
About this particular poem, I find it simple and refreshingly original and an expression of time-less longing of a beautiful mind towards her root while living in a New Land.
Secondly, whatever I do, deep down I am a বাঙালি [Bangali, the subtlety of ঙ is not translatable in written English :-)] aristocrat with natural inclination towards arts and all pristine artistic expressions. And that's that.
On a technical note (and very important one), a fundamental problem of inter-culture communications is now resolved via Large Language Models and with the freely available web-services of those in the public domain. So, I have provided a ChatGPT translated version of the poem for the Global Readers who may not know my mother tongue.
~~ Kunal Konar, Editor and Publisher.
The Poem
কেমন আছো তুমি?
বলা হয়নি তোমায়,
পৃথিবীর অপর-প্রান্তে আমি।
তুমি যখন সূর্য-ওঠা দেখো
আমি তখন সূর্যাস্তের আগুন-রঙে
বিভোর হয়ে থাকি।
দিনেরবেলা সোনারোদের তেজ
বড্ডো জোরালো !
বিকেলে যেই সূয্যি দেয় ডুব
এক নিমেষে ঠাণ্ডা দিগ্বিদিক!
রাস্তাঘাটে মানুষজন কই
সাঁইসাঁই বেগে যাচ্ছে শুধু গাড়ি
বুঝতে পারি এলেম নতুন দেশে
শহর, নদী, সাগর দিয়ে পাড়ি।।
- বর্ণালী
How are you, my dear?
I never asked you this,
For I am at the farthest edge of the world.
When you behold the rising sun,
I am lost in the fire-hues
Of a setting one.
The blazing gold of daylight
Feels far too fierce!
But when the sun dips in the west,
In a blink, the air turns chill,
The horizon hushed and still.
No bustling crowds on the streets—
Only cars rushing by with a hiss.
And I know then,
I have arrived in a new land,
Crossing cities, rivers,
And seas to stand here.
— Barnali
About the Author
Ms. Barnali Kar was graduated in Electrical Engineering from the Regional Engineering College, Durgapur (now NIT Durgapur) in 1981. After serving Indian Govt Undertaking, MAMC for 4 yrs, she shifted from Durgapur to Kolkata after marriage and worked in private companies thereafter. In 1991, she did Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. Since then she is teaching in Jadavpur University as a guest faculty for all these years.
She may be reached at:
~~Editor and Publisher: Kunal Konar, Consultant (Business Development & Analytic Hydrology)
29Aug2025, Barasat,West Bengal
Wow. I just read your poem. It's so powerful and evocative! I love how you explore the idea of a 'new land' both as a physical place and an internal state of being. You have a real talent for expressing complex emotions with such beautiful clarity. Seriously, keep doing this. I can't wait to read what you write next!