Death itself is an Art: Hiru Da lives forever in the Assamese soul

In the world of modern Assamese poetry, Hiren Bhattacharyya’s poetry comes across as a refreshing drift of soft breeze. So fresh that it almost intoxicates the young mind. His poetry shines with the rare quality of expressing enormously without saying much. Probably that is why Hiru Da’s poetry is loved by so many people.

Feelings of love and patriotism, rebellious sentiments and the secrets of a heart that loves solitude stand out in his poems. The poems are balanced in the usage of words. They are like the Japanese Haiku that can dazzle you within very few words and like the Urdu Shayeri that gives you that amazingly sweet pleasure. His outstanding work on love “Prem sage enekuai aboron khuli hridoy jurai” is already popular among the new generation of poetry lovers. In his verses, love finds some glorious connotations-

“Mor onubhove onubhove

Tomar prem’or gun gun xobdo

Enekoi ru-ruwai jole

Je tar sai bhori pore

Mor bukur bhitore bahire

Xombhoboto: tomar progolov preme

Mok sai kori puri nibo krome”

Love is a very personal feeling. It can take place in and within the heart alone. That is why the poet says,

“Prem’or kotha tu aru anok kobo nuaari!

Nishashor dore nixobde e jen bisari fure

Xobdo, borno aru pohoror utso (aru eti boxonto)”

Love is accompanied by melancholy and loneliness. Both of these are aptly expressed in Hiren Bhatta’s poetry. His poems also flourish with progressive nationalistic sentiments. Expressions of his rebellious mind in his poems are vibrant and heart-touching. He would, on one hand, observe all those countless poetic sources in the unmatched beauty of this world. On the other hand, he would also see the plight of the impoverished, who struggle hard to meet both ends meet. Before penning down a poem, he would ask himself:

“Kar karone kobita, xurjyo’r xudhdhota? Xonmukhor

Baat jolok tobok

Baohaator tip’ot mare kuxilor, jononir bukut

Kaal jomuna! Kar

karone kobita xurjyo’r tejoswita? Shwahid’or harh

xiyal-kukukor bhoj, shwadhinotar biponno much, chomotkaar

ha-ha bhaat’or chinta!” (mor aru prithibi’r)

For the sake of writing a poem, the poet has travelled through the wondrous times of Phulguri from the pages of history to the contemporary stories of Tevaga-Telangana and studied the real selves of people. He explicitly draws a pen picture of the exploitations of the common-man against the treacherous politics of both the feudal and slavery systems of the past. His soul is ready to give itself up for the sake of the nation. Because-

“Desh buli kole aadesh nalage”

Moreover, he has made fierce preparations to rid the nation of its negative forces. He says, in an indicative manner:

“Mur haat’or kasi khon’ole salei gom paba

Kar dingi’r jokhere gorhisu” (Atmapakhya)

Poetry is like a weapon in his hands. To express the flaming thoughts of his heart, he chooses sharp, piercing words. He says,

“Mur xobdo’r xobha jatra houk, krur kutil ratir

prohori houk

Tirbirai thakok bikhobh’or suka torowal

Tolmol xobdo’r

Ussoxito tej’or prabahe prabahe!” (Desh aru ananya bixoyok)

When life is filled with sighs of anger and clouds of revolt build up in his heart then, that anger mixed with rebellious sentiments take the form of his poetry.

“Botor khorang bor!

Bhomok kore botahot joli uthil

Mur uxah tolor gopon khargor

Ekolom siyahi’r xukan kobita”

But poetry, for him was not the expression of his rebellious thoughts alone.  Poetry was also a tool for him to touch the hearts of the readers. It was poetry through which he could express every little thought he had in his heart. In his words,

“Bhoga kolijat kune binai

Kobita mur dukhor dinor

Epah korikajai” (Jonaki Mon)

The melancholic tone in his poetry brings out in them a unique individuality. He highlights pain and sorrow in most of his verses. He himself says,

“Kameez’or xiyoni’t dukh, dukh’or stuti

Mor gaat haat tholei paba, Hiren naam’or kobi

Padasari nodi’r xot’ot, utola dukh’or onubhuti!”

This poet, who himself slept on a bed of sorrows, also held the key to endless dreams in his eyes and looked ahead to the brighter days of life. He loved the world more than his own life. The way he could wholeheartedly feel the moon, the stars, rivers, flowers and other mesmerizing beauties of nature, infused his poetry with wild passion. In the poems, one can see a poet whose soul bears a deep thirst and love for his land. His poems are adorned with some breathtaking pictures. And these pictures shine like the brightest jewels. Even through just a couple of lines, he could convey the most meaningful trails of his thoughts. The perfect example would be-

“Mrityu’u tu ek xilpo,

Jibon’or xil’ot kota

Nirlobh bhaskarjya” (Jonaki Mon)

Hiren Bhattacharyya’s poems also seem to have a musical rhythm in them. In fact, most of his poems are actually a blend of poetry and music. His poems reveal that he is a man who ardently loves music. Portrayal of spontaneous and free flowing thoughts in simple words is the speciality of his poetry. The disciplined and artistic expression of pure love and perfectly regimented sentiments of rebellion is the reason why Hiru Da’s poetry is recognized as the glory of Assamese literature.

Translated by Tinam Borah