Beyond Land and Time

Subinoy Mustafi

(Subinôy Mustôfi)

Translated by Faizul Latif Chowdhury

This autumn night the tale of Subinoy Mustafi crosses my mind.

This all-knowing young man had the amazing power of making the cat and the mouse held between its jaws laugh all at once.

The white cat playfully biting on the mouse

or the anxious mouse being torn into pieces

oblivious of how far they were from heaven or hell

− would make room at a very cheap rate

for the feel of living a few more days

on this turbulent earth of half light and shadow.

Yet the cat would be giggling and giggling

until seized with a cramp

‘Hurrah’, would shout the mouse and burst into laughter

As if to resonate with those rhythmic cramps.