(This version: 16.12.2014)

In this far away land, it all suits fine
Drain pipe trousers, a tunic wild
Laundered scarves --
With a false identity carefully filed
In this faraway land, it all suits fine. 

Briar pipe and pointy toed shoes
Nose bridge gripped by darkened glasses --
"A keeping off the sun" excuse 
In this faraway land, it all suits fine. 

But your palm tree spray -- 
A dwelling in your heart where the soft clouds sway
From where to begin 
The rest of your life had been your aim
If from there now a sanction came

In this faraway land, it all suits fine. 

_________________________
Translation-cum-transcreation of a classic Bengali poem এই বিদেশে (ei bideshe) by Shakti Chattopadhyay. The poem was chosen from his collection I Have Killed a Golden Fly — আমি সোনার মাছি খুন করেছি , published around 1980. Since a translation should address persons not familiar with the Bengali language or culture, I have deliberately removed a reference to the Ashvatthama tale in the poem. “Falsehood” is all that I retained, thereby sacrificing a part of the poetic charm. However, this was unavoidable.