- Source: Kavyanjali (poetry collection)
Kavyanjali) is collection of English poems by the Indian Kosali poet Haldhar Nag, translated by Surendra Nath. The book was first published in 2016 with a foreword written by Odia writer Manoj Das. The poems cover various themes such as spiritualism, social reality, cultural identity, etc. As of 2022, a total of 5 volumes of Kavyanjali have been published; the Vol.3 and Vol.4 are not collections of poems, but are epic poems and biographies respectively.
Contents
= Vol.1
=The first volume (ISBN 9781696148337) was released in Bhubaneswar on October 2, 2016. It has a total of 268 pages and contains 24 poems. Nag's debut poem "Old Banyan Tree" is also included:
Five Nectars of Immortality
The Great Sati Urmila
Old Banyan Tree
Make No Silly Excuses
Demon
The Minister and the Beggar
A Cubit Taller
Wine
River Ghensali
The Cuckoo
Bulbul
What Else Could Have Happened
The Harlot of Tikarpada
The Soul is Real
First Clean Yourself
Bhai Jiuntia
Greatness
The Year
Too Much
The Dove is My Teacher
Light of the Earthen Lamp
Conscience
Why Did He Leave His Home
A Letter to Poet Haldhar
= Vol.2
=The second volume (ISBN 9781695954281) was released in Sambalpur on October 10, 2018, with a total of 244 pages, including 28 short poems and 2 long poems:
Lies Lead to Hell
Shri Samlei
Our Village Cremation Ground
Profit
For a Little Broth of Rice
Kunjel Para
The Morning of March
Danseuse
Market of Illusion
Kamdhenu
Just Think of It
The Jealous Always Suffer
On the Death of Budhadev Das Cries Mother Samlei
Animals and Humans
Warning
Swachh Bharat
Butterfly
Smeared with Colours, The Old Man Was Cremated
The Matter Ends Here
The Younger Brother's Courage
A Song in Sanchar Tune
Regard for Soil
Untouchable
Lantern
Fire
Summer
Rains
God Kalia of Priest Luru
Slumber
Chhanda Charan Avtar
= Vol.3
=The third volume (ISBN 9781701787070) was released in Bargarh on November 22, 2019 and has a total of 400 pages. Its content is different from the poetry anthologies in the first two volumes. It is an epic poem with a total of 21 chapters and 1,340 verses, titled "Manifestation of Love"; the illustrations in the book are by Rhiti Chatterjee Bose, the female illustrator from Kolkata. The author tells the story of Krishna from birth to death in a new light:
Kamsa and Devaki
Balram is Born in Gopa-pur
Kamsa and Pootana. Incarnation of Krishna
The Prison Guard
Crossing of Yamuna
Nature Blooms in Gopa-pur
Mother Pootana
Twin Trees Yamla-Arjun
Yashoda’s Vision of the Universe
Balram is Named Haldhar
Mohan Flute
Rasleela
Akrur Fetches Krishna, Balram
Mathura
Death of Kamsa
Disrobing of Draupadi
Karna the Charitable
Shyamantak
Sudama
Radhe-Krishna
The End of Dwapar Yuga
= Vol.4
=The fourth volume (ISBN 9798696248189) was released on October 11, 2020, with a total of 368 pages. It is the biographical story of revolutionary Surendra Sai, poet Bhima Bhoi and Gangadhar Meher.
= Vol.5
=The fifth volume (ISBN 9798792985353) was released on December 30, 2021, with a total of 304 pages and contains 31 poems:
Tulsi Das
River and Ocean
Mahua Tree
Neem Tree
Spring Tune
Shivaratri
Bracelet
The Witch They Slapped with Slippers
What Do We Do
Goat
That Village Kuchipali
Dussehra Festival in Ghess
Attire
Tara Mandodari
Only Because You Exist
Victory Song
The Power of Goddess
Kirtan
Arrived Dussehra
Squirrel
The Little Calf
Five Orphans
Wooden Leg
Nuakhai Festival Meet
Pushpuni
Give Me Some Medicine
Forest Jasmine
Blessings of Guru
The Disrobing
Juapuni
The Village Chowkidar
Origin
The translator, Surendra Nath is a retired naval officer. In early 2016, he happened to see a post that went viral on social media: a dark-skinned man with long hair, wearing a vest and dhoti, and barefoot, receiving the Padma Shri from Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India. Therefore, he became curious about this "The vest poet" and began to pay attention to his works. Understanding that language was a barrier between Haldhar Nag's rich literary work and the rest of the world, Nath decided to translate Nag's poetry into English so that a wider audience could read it.
In addition, Nath also embarked on an autonomous project called "Project Kavyanjali", to translate and publish all the works of Haldhar Nag into English.
Notes
References
External links
Project Kavyanjali
Haldhar Nag in conversation with Surendra Nath regarding Kavyanjali Vol. II, at Bhubaneswar on YouTube
