"Ami Shundori"

“Provabati Saha, Narayanganj”. Rome, 2018

I wrap myself in silk veils,
I am enclosed with beauty,
with colors of my age and hierarchy.
I paint my face and eyes, and I shine,
I adorn my hair with flowers and I dance.
I catch the eyes like bracelets,
thread one behind the other
and I jingle them.
And if sadness tames me,
I become a butterfly with painted wings.
"Ami shundori," yes I am wonderful,
even in wrinkles,
in the chapped skin of the feet,
like the petals on the ground
who strip the rose.


Dedicated to all Bengali women
Rome, 16 December 2019

Italian version