Syed Shamsul Haque recites poem at a programme on Saturday. — Snigdha Zaman

Eminent poet-dramatist Syed Shamsul Haque captivated the houseful audience on Saturday presenting self composed romantic poems at the Bengal Art Lounge in Gulshan.  In the 90-minute programme titled ‘Bhalobashar Kabita’, Haque also recited Bangla version of popular foreign poems.
Ushering the much awaited monsoon, Haque recited self composed poem ‘Biroher dine brishtir phota sychronised with the melody of esraj to glide the audience rhythmically into an imaginary world.
In his verses Balikara jonmo nay, Haque portrayed the differences between man and woman through a couple’s recalling of their teenaged love at a sudden meeting at a rural jatra pala. Universal love had been highlighted in his recitation of the verses Je amake ichchha korechhe ami tar.
To make the recitation event livelier Syed Shamsul Haque shared some relevant unique moments of his personal life. ‘While living in Manikgang in the early stage of my, I heard a story that a boy’s love letter had back to his home and had been received by his mother. Reading the letter, the mother had “mistakenly” so amazed that she had thought her son had loved her very much,’ Haque said.
Haque with his bold and lively voice recited a dramatic monologue titled ‘Paraner gahin bhitor’ narrating a woman’s anguish at the change of approach of her husband before and after marriage.
He also recalled his memories with Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, Palli Kabi Jashim Uddin, for which he feels proud. ‘Though I passed most of my life in the city, rural ambience still inspires me. And such inspiration has been expressed in my adaptation of WH Auden’s poems,’ he said.
Haque recited a translation of a German poem by legendary playwright Bertolt Brecht presenting an agony of a rejected prostitute from the society, religion and even by her lover.
Following Russian poet Andrew Wachtel’s style, Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughl emperor while in exile in the then Rangoon, composed ghazals, observed Haque. He recited such compositions Katha bolata eto kashter agey to emon chilo na and Amar mon boshena ei bagane at the progrmme.
Syed Shamsul Haque also recited two ghazals translated by him from the original of Mirza Ghalib and Brij Narayan Chakbast.