Interpretation of Abar Asibo Fire by Jibanananda Das

Abar Asibo Fire
Abar asebo fehre dhansereter teere ae bangla ae
Hoe to manush noe – hoe to sonkhocheel shaleker beshe,
Hoeto bhoner kak hoe ae karticker nobanner deshe
Kuashar booke bheshe ekdin asebo ae khathal chayae
Hoeto ba hash hobo – kishorer- ghunghur rohebe lal paye
Saradin kete jabe kolmeer ghondho bhora jolae bhese bhese.
Abar asebo ame banglar nodi math khet bhalobhese
Jolangeer dheu e bheja banglar aye sobuj koroon dangae.

Hoeto dekhebe cheye sudarshan ureteche sondhar batase.
Hoeto sunebe ek lookhipecha daketeche shimuler dale.
Hoeto khoe er dhan chorateche sishu ek uthaner ghase.
Rupsar ghola jole hoeto kishor ek sada chera pale
Dinga bae , ranga megh satrae ondhokare aseteche neere
Dekhebe dhobol bok ; amarae pabe tumi ehader bhere.

Poem
‘Abar Ashibo Fhere, dhanshirtir Teere, aye banglay…..", is one of the most cited poem in Bengali literature written by Jibonando Das.Here the poet confesses and eagerly wishes that in his re-birth he wants to return back to the same place Dhansiri,where he now exists.The poem clearly expresses the deep and immortal love of the poet for the place from where he belong and brings out a clear resemblance between the love for the existing place and the urge to return back to the same place after re-birth. He wants to again take birth there in any life form if he gets the chance to.

Background
The aftermath of the Hindu – Muslim war saw heightened demands for Indian Independence. Muslim politicians led by Jinnah wanted an independent homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent. Bengal was uniquely vulnerable to partition: its western half was majority-Hindu, its eastern half majority-Muslim. Yet adherents of both religions spoke the same language, came from the same ethnic stock, and lived in close proximity to each other in town and village. Jibanananda had emphasized the need for communal harmony at an early stage which provoked him to write this very poem.

Structure of the poem
This poem is beatifully constructed in two bid paragraphs mataining a beatiful rhythm in almost every line. The poem is constructed in such a way that it provides a beautiful pictureque imagery to the readers which which comes alive before one’s eyes. The poet has also used many figure of speech like metaphor, personification, extragerration (hyperpole) and similis to enhance the beauty and the clarity of the poem, clearly expressing his wish to go to the bank of the Dhansiri river.

Analysis
"Abar asebo fehre dhansereter teere ae bangla ae"
The poet is imagining that he will resurrect and return again to the banks of river Dhansiri in Bengal. Dhanshiri is a river in the Jhalkathi District of Bangladesh. Once it was full of youth but today it is becoming narrower.The river is a tourist spot. There are many shops, hotels, cultural organizations, and a real estate centre named after the river.In Bengali literature, the Dhanshirhi River is a symbol of romance and love as introduced by great poet Jibanananda Das.

"Hoe to manush noe – hoe to sonkhocheel shaleker beshe,’’
The poet thinks that if he is born not as human in his re-birth than he would prefer to live a life of conch-necked kite or a common Myna fowl.

"Hoeto bhorer kak hoe aye karticker nobanner deshe’’
The poet imagins that in his re-birth he may be born as a crow of dawn that flies in the field of new harvest of the early winter fall.

"Kuashar booke bheshe ekdin asebo ae khathal chayae’’
The poet thinks that he will float on the heart of frosts and take shade under a Jackfruit tree.

"Hoeto ba hash hobo – kishorer- ghunghur rohebe lal paye’’
The poet either wants to wear tinkerbells of young girl in his feet or he prefers to become a duck.

"Saradin kete jabe kolmeer ghondho bhora jolae bhese bhese’’
The poet wants to glide or float in fragrant waters of water lilies and in this way he wants to spend the whole day.

"Abar asebo ame banglar nodi math khet bhalobhese’’
The poet shows his strong desire to come again for the love of river, fields and pastures of Bengal.

"Jolangeer dheu e bheja banglar aye sobuj koroon dangae’’
The poet wants to spend time on the melancholy green banks moist with waves of the river Jalangi of this very Bengal.

"Hoeto dekhebe cheye sudarshan ureteche sondhar batase’’
The poet tells the readers that they will see him as a bird drifting in dusky airflow.

"Hoeto sunebe ek lookhipecha daketeche shimuler dale’’
The poet again tells that his readers will find him in a silk cotton tree as a spotted owl.

"Hoeto khoe er dhan chorateche sishu ek uthaner ghase’’
The poet tells the readers that they would find him as a kid spreading puffed rice on front lawns feeding fowl.

"Rupsar ghola jole hoeto kishor ek sada chera pale"
The poet imagine himself as a young man adrift in muddy waters of Rupsa lofts a torn white sail.

"Dinga bae , ranga megh satrae ondhokare aseteche neere"
He dreams of wafting a raft – as crimson clouds swims and fade into oblivion.

"Dekhebe dhobol bok ; amarae pabe tumi ehader bhere."
The poet tells the readers that maybe they will see him as a white crane and find him in such obscure form.

Summary
The poet confesses and eagerly wishes that in his re-birth he wants to return back to the same place Dhansiri. It tells the readers that one might not always get a human form of life after death but may have life in other forms of animals but though in such a life one can fulfill their goal if one is determined to so. He describes the beauty of the bank of the dhansiri. Though human life can attain anything but it is also not impossible to accomplish it in other life forms or in our re-birth.

If the poem is totally translated in English it would be as follows:-
Shall resurrect and return again to the banks of river Dhansiri in this Bengal.
If not as human, then as conch-necked kite or a common myna fowl.
Maybe as a crow of dawn that flies in fields of new harvest of early winter fall.
Shall float on heart of frosts to under a shade of a Jackfruit tree diurnal.
Wearing tinkerbells of young girl in my feet; may be, I shall be a duck fowl.
Gliding, floating in fragrant waters of Water lilies-spending a day total .
Will come again for the love of the rivers, fields, pastures of Bengal.
On melancholy green banks moist with waves of river Jalangi of this very Bengal.

Maybe you’ll see me as a bird drifting in dusky airflow.
Maybe on a silk cotton tree you’ll hear me as a spotted owl.
Maybe as a kid spreading puffed rice on front lawns feeding fowl.
As a young man adrift in muddy waters of Rupsa lofts a torn white sail
Wafting a raft – as crimson clouds swims and fade into oblivion
Maybe you’ll see me as a white crane; you’ll find me in such obscure form.

This poem totally speaks about rebirth and the dream one’s to accomplish it, if not possible in one mortal life to fulfill it in the next life given to us by god.