拉赫曼
(October 24, 1929 – August 17, 2006)
拉赫曼(Shamsur Rahman)在達卡出生，達卡大學英語系畢業，多年來編輯國營日報，Dainik Bangla。他是孟加拉傑出的詩人，記者以及人權提倡者，九九年曾因伊斯蘭基本教義派入侵私宅與威脅存活下來。他的著作超過六十冊的詩集，部分曾翻譯為英文，包括去年出版的《拉赫曼最佳詩選》。 他的詩集多論述政治與社會正義，使他成為孟加拉自由中的象徵，同時為民眾所景仰、愛戴，如今至少五千名孟加拉民眾參與他的喪禮。
Asad’s Shirt ◎Shamsur RahmanLike bunches of blood-red Oleander, Like flaming clouds at sunset
Asad’s shirt flutters
In the gusty wind, in the limitless blue.
To the brother’s spotless shirt
His sister had sown
With the fine gold thread
Of her heart’s desire
Buttons which shone like stars;
How often had his ageing mother,
With such tender care,
Hung that shirt out to dry
In her sunny courtyard.
Now that self-same shirt
Has deserted the mother’s courtyard,
Adorned by bright sunlight
And the soft shadow”
Cast by the pomegranate tree,
Now it flutters
On the city’s main street,
On top of the belching factory chimneys,
In every nook and corner
Of the echoing avenues,
How it flutters
With no respite
In the sun-scorched stretches
Of our parched hearts,
At every muster of conscious people Uniting in a common purpose.
Our weakness, our cowardice
The stain of our guilt and shame-
All are hidden from the public gaze
By this pitiful piece of torn raiment Asad’s shirt has become
Our pulsating hearts’ rebellious banner.[ Asader shirt (Asad’s Shirt) - by Shamsur Rahman, Translated by Syed Najmuddin Hashim]