Nilamani Phookan’s Timeless Assamese Poems Translated into Sinhala

The Swami Vivekananda Indian Cultural Centre in Sri Lanka has translated the works of celebrated Assamese poet Nilamani Phookan, widely known as the “Sage of Assam” and the “Silent Poet,” into Sinhala.

The collection, titled Echoes of Assam, has been translated by noted nSri Lankapoet and novelist Ajantha Seneviratne. It will be officially released on September 10 in Assam to mark Phookan’s 94th birth anniversary. The Assam Charu-Karu Kala Parishad will organize the launch ceremony.

In the foreword of the book, Professor Ankuran Dutta, Director of the Indian Cultural Centre, praised Seneviratne’s contribution and highlighted the significance of the project. He described it as the first effort to introduce Phookan’s poetry into a South Asian foreign language, strengthening literary ties across the region and affirming the universality of Assamese literature. Dutta also thanked Amitava Phookan for granting the rights for the translations.

Born in 1933 in Dergaon, Assam, Nilamani Phookan emerged as a pioneer of modern Assamese poetry in the 1950s. His verses, rooted in nature, mythology, and philosophical themes, explored concepts like time, life, death, and the cosmos while drawing deeply from Assamese folk traditions. Though often simple in form, his poetry carried profound symbolic depth, influenced by French symbolism yet imbued with a distinct Assamese essence.

Phookan received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1981, the Padma Shri in 1990, and the Jnanpith Award in 2021—the highest literary honor in India. He also enriched Assamese literature by translating Japanese and European poetry into the language.

Phookan passed away on January 19, 2023. Echoes of Assam features 20 of his poems translated into Sinhala and English, with cover art by Professor Jagath Ravindra reflecting the depth of his literary vision.

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