Poet, essayist and translator Aloke Ranjan Dasgupta passed away on 17 November. He authored 20 books of poetry and translated Bengali and Santhal poetry and plays into English and German, and also translated literature from German and French into Bengali.

In tribute to Aloke Ranjan Dasgupta, we reproduce one of his poems in translation.

In the Wonderful Absence of Power
While pondering in a forest the names of possible ministers
for the shadow cabinet
the day slipped past, and all of a sudden
a frail deodar tree tottered towards me.
Its roots are rather loose, and to tell the truth
it has hardly a single leaf left;
We both enveloped in the joy of lacking power
postpone setting up our government.

[translated by himself]