Beyond Land and Time

The Great Twilight

(Môhāgodhuli)

Translated by Faizul Latif Chowdhury

The wheel-cart idly rolls laden with golden straw

—the late-noon sunshine fades

The birds: black, blue and brown—flap their wings

            in the cellar of the corn field

White path dust flies turn into slumber and mingle with the sky

As the setting sun leans upon the edge of pigeon-peas field.

Now in solitude his blood longs for the taste of sleep

The pregnant field looks so good—

fire dims and glows in its eye.

One day the smell of comely charcoal will bring relief to fire.

Whereat waste charter pact commission plan;

Why is the uproar of envy jealousy slander exhaustion

            terror and blood-shed?

My heart is as answerless to time as it had shut up

Having asked the slender nun the questions

            when Buddha deceased.