“Dukhumia” is one of the childhood nicknames of Bengali poet (Late) Kazi Nazrul Islam. He was a multi-talented star born in the Bengal Presidency (later named Bengal Province in 1912) of British India. He was an excellent poet, short-story writer, song composer, playwright, novelist, essayist, literary translator, soldier, film actor and political activist.
He is the national poet of Bangladesh where he spent the last few years of his life. To acknowledge his character and contribution to the independence of India from British rule and Bangladesh from West Pakistan’s rule, he was awarded the title ‘The Revolutionary Poet’.
Words in his poems were too strong for the British Raj and he was kept behind the bars for writing patriotic poems. Instead of silencing him down, it had the opposite effect and he continued writing songs and poems that fuelled the independence movement of Indian subcontinent. Here is an example of such a poem (which was made into a song later) and it’s rough English translation:
কারার ঐ লৌহকপাট
— কাজী নজরুল ইসলাম
কারার ঐ লৌহকপাট,
ভেঙ্গে ফেল কর রে লোপাট,
রক্ত-জমাট শিকল পূজার পাষাণ-বেদী।
ওরে ও তরুণ ঈশান,
বাজা তোর প্রলয় বিষাণ
ধ্বংস নিশান উড়ুক প্রাচীর প্রাচীর ভেদি।
গাজনের বাজনা বাজা,
কে মালিক, কে সে রাজা,
কে দেয় সাজা মুক্ত স্বাধীন সত্যকে রে?
হা হা হা পায় যে হাসি, ভগবান পরবে ফাঁসি,
সর্বনাশী শিখায় এ হীন তথ্য কে রে!
ওরে ও পাগলা ভোলা,
দে রে দে প্রলয় দোলা,
গারদগুলা জোরসে ধরে হেচ্কা টানে
মার হাঁক হায়দারী হাঁক, কাধে নে দুন্দুভি ঢাক
ডাক ওরে ডাক, মৃত্যুকে ডাক জীবন পানে।
নাচে ওই কালবোশাখী,
কাটাবী কাল বসে কি
দেরে দেখি ভীম কারার ঐ ভিত্তি নাড়ি
লাথি মার ভাঙ্গরে তালা,
যত সব বন্দী শালায়-আগুন-জ্বালা, আগুন-জ্বালা,
ফেল উপাড়ি।।
Translation :
That iron door of the prison
Break it, invade it, Boiling blood
The ferocious stage of worshipping chains
Hey you the youth
Hit on your war drums, Raise up your war-flag
And let it wave through the walls
Sing the battle hymn with chorus
Who’s their to own? Who is the king? Who’s there to punish?
To free the truth?
Ha ha ha it’s making me laugh, that god will take the hanging rope
It’s catastrophic
Who tells you this baloney?
Hey you crazy helmsman! Ride the storm and blow
The prison cells
Grab it and pull it hard
Shout out with your chorus, take the war-drums on your shoulder; shout
And call
Call the death to the life
The cyclone is spinning, Will you waste your time now?
Shut their mouth Shaking those prison gates off
Kick and knock that lock right off all the locks of prison
Burn them, Burn and destroy them
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Kazi Nazrul Islam
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Nazrul in Chittagong, 1926
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| Native name |
কাজী নজরুল ইসলাম
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| Born | 24 May 1899[1] Asansol, Burdwan, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Died | 29 August 1976 (aged 77) Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Resting place | Dhaka University |
| Occupation |
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| Language | |
| Nationality | British Empire (24.05.1899–15.08.1947) Indian (1947–1976) Bangladeshi (1972–1976) |
| Period | 1922–1942 |
| Literary movement | Bengali renaissance |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards |
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| Spouse | Pramila Devi |
| Children | 4 sons |
| Signature |  |