The Field of the Embroidered Quilt by Jasimuddin:

Translation: E. M. Milford

 Spreading the embroidered quilt,

She works the livelong night,

As if her poet were

On his bereaved plight.

Many a joy and many a sorrow

Is written on her breast;

The story of Rupai’s life is there,

Line by line expressed.

“How will he bear the pain, mother?

A Glimpse of Our Culture

On this quilt lies all of mine-

All my pain and my grief,

Embroidered line by line.

So lay it on my grave, mother.

This picture of my grief,

That his and mine upon its breast

May mingling find relief.

নকশী কাঁথার মাঠ

(জসীমউদ্দীন)
অনুবাদ: ইংরেজি থেকে বাংলায় (E. M. Milford-এর অনুবাদের ভিত্তিতে)

নকশী কাঁথা বিছিয়ে,
সে সেলাই করে রাতভর,
যেন তার কবিতার হৃদয়
বিচ্ছেদের বেদনায় ভরপুর।

আনন্দ কত, বেদনা কত
লেখা আছে তার বুকে;
রূপাইয়ের জীবনের গল্প
সেলাই হয়ে রেখেছে।

“মা, ও সহ্য করবে কীভাবে—
আমার সব বেদনার ছাপ,
এই কাঁথাতেই রেখেছি আমি
প্রতি রেখায়, প্রতি চাপ।

তাই মা, কবরের ওপর
এই কাঁথা রেখো তুমি,
আমার আর তার বেদনার ছবি
একত্র হয়ে হোক সুখের ভূমি।

Theme: The poem centers around the deep emotional pain of a woman who has lost her beloved, Rupai, and uses embroidery as a means of expressing her grief and love. Through her hand-stitched quilt, she pours out her soul — each stitch holding memories, joys, and sorrows. The quilt becomes a symbol of cultural expression, personal loss, and enduring love. It also highlights the traditional craft of quilt-making (Nakshi Kantha) as a powerful medium of storytelling and emotional healing.

মূলভাব: এই কবিতায় এক নারীর ভালোবাসা ও বিচ্ছেদের যন্ত্রণার চিত্র ফুটে উঠেছে। তিনি সারা রাত ধরে তার ভালোবাসার মানুষ রূপাই–এর স্মৃতি ও কষ্ট সেলাই করেন তার নিজ হাতে বানানো নকশিকাঁথায়। এই নকশিকাঁথা যেন তার জীবনের আনন্দ–বেদনার দলিল। মৃত্যুর পর মা যেন এই কাঁথা তার কবরে বিছিয়ে দেন—যাতে রূপাইয়ের সঙ্গে তার মিলিত বেদনা একসাথে প্রশান্তি খুঁজে পায়। কবিতাটি আমাদের লোকজ সংস্কৃতি, নারীর অনুভূতি, এবং শিল্পের মাধ্যমে আত্মপ্রকাশের এক অনন্য চিত্র তুলে ধরে।

Summary: In the poem, a woman works all night, embroidering a quilt with the story of her lost love, Rupai. The quilt bears the marks of her sorrow and memories, becoming a visual representation of her emotional life. She asks her mother to place the quilt on her grave, believing that in death, the shared pain between her and Rupai — preserved in the fabric — will finally find peace. This poignant piece reflects love, loss, and cultural tradition.

সারাংশ: একজন নারী সারা রাত ধরে তার প্রেমিক রূপাইয়ের স্মৃতি ও কষ্টে নকশিকাঁথা সেলাই করেন। এই কাঁথায় তাঁর জীবনের প্রতিটি আনন্দ ও বেদনা সূচীকর্মে ফুটে উঠেছে। তিনি চান মৃত্যুর পর কাঁথাটি যেন তার কবরে বিছানো হয়, যেন তার আর রূপাইয়ের মিলিত কষ্ট সেখানে প্রশান্তি পায়। এটি একটি দারুণ বেদনাবিধুর প্রেমের কাহিনি যা লোকজ সংস্কৃতিকে গভীরভাবে ছুঁয়ে যায়।

1. What is being spread in the poem?
   The embroidered quilt is being spread. It symbolizes memories and emotions stitched with care.
2. Who is working through the night?
   A woman is working the livelong night. She embroiders her sorrow and love into the quilt.
3. What does the woman do while working?
   She embroiders her feelings into the quilt. Her emotions are expressed in every line.
4. Why does the woman work all night?
   She works through the night to express her grief and longing. It is her only way to communicate her pain.
5. What does the embroidered quilt represent?
   It represents the story of her life and sorrow. It’s a symbol of emotional memory and cultural tradition.
6. Whose life is stitched into the quilt?
   Rupai’s life is stitched into the quilt. Each line shows a part of his story and their shared past.
7. What kind of emotions are included in the quilt?
   Both joy and sorrow are embedded. It reflects the full range of human experiences.
8. How are the emotions presented?
   They are presented line by line on the quilt. The needlework becomes a narrative.
9. Where are the joys and sorrows written?
   They are written on her breast symbolically. She carries them emotionally and artistically.
10. Why does the poet call the quilt a ‘picture of grief’?
    Because it holds all of the woman’s pain. It visually expresses her inner suffering.
11. What is the woman’s final request to her mother?
    She asks her mother to lay the quilt on her grave. She wants it to be a part of her even after death.
12. Why does she want the quilt on her grave?
    Because it holds her pain and love. It symbolizes her emotional legacy.
13. What does she hope will happen through the quilt?
    She hopes her grief and Rupai’s may find relief. She believes in the healing power of shared sorrow.
14. Who is Rupai in the poem?
    Rupai is likely her beloved. He is deeply connected to the story on the quilt.
15. What is the tone of the poem?
    The tone is melancholic and reflective. It deals with love, loss, and memory.
16. What art form is central in the poem?
    Embroidery, particularly the Nakshi Kantha (embroidered quilt). It is both cultural expression and emotional storytelling.
17. What cultural value does the quilt reflect?
    It reflects Bengali rural folk traditions. Particularly how women use embroidery to tell stories.
18. Why is embroidery compared to poetry in the poem?
    Because both express deep emotions creatively. Her needle is like a poet’s pen.
19. What might the quilt symbolize about women’s lives?
    It symbolizes their inner strength and unspoken stories. Women often express themselves through silent art forms.
20. What question does the speaker ask her mother?
    “How will he bear the pain, mother?” She worries about Rupai’s sorrow too.
21. How does the woman imagine healing?
    Through the mingling of shared grief. She believes mutual sorrow can bring peace.
22. What role does the mother play in the poem?
    She is a silent witness and caretaker. The daughter confides her last wish to her.
23. How is the daughter’s pain recorded?
    Through embroidery on the quilt. It’s a quiet yet powerful form of expression.
24. What natural element is missing from the woman’s life?
    Joy and peace are missing. Her life is full of sorrow and longing.
25. What is the central theme of the poem?
    Love, grief, and remembrance. It focuses on emotional expression through cultural means.
26. What does the woman use instead of words?
    She uses thread and cloth. Her silence is filled with stitches of meaning.
27. How is the poem connected to rural life?
    It portrays a traditional village craft. And reflects emotional lives in simple settings.
28. What is the poetic device used in ‘line by line’?
    It’s repetition and symbolism. It emphasizes detailed storytelling through embroidery.
29. Why might the woman not speak her sorrow aloud?
    Because of cultural or emotional restraint. Instead, she expresses it through her hands.
30. How is the pain made visible in the poem?
    Through the detailed embroidered quilt. It brings intangible feelings into physical form.
31. What literary technique is used in calling the quilt a ‘picture’?
    It’s a metaphor. The quilt represents her life’s story in visual form.
32. What does the speaker fear Rupai will feel?
    Deep pain from separation. She worries for his emotional state.
33. What does the quilt allow the woman to do emotionally?
    Release and preserve her emotions. It is her silent diary.
34. How does the quilt act as a bridge between the living and the dead?
    It carries memory and longing. It’s meant to rest on her grave as a symbol of love.
35. What is the speaker’s emotional state?
    She is sorrowful and resigned. She accepts her pain but wants it remembered.
36. How is love portrayed in the poem?
    As both beautiful and tragic. It survives even after death.
37. What role does memory play in the poem?
    Memory is preserved through the quilt. It becomes eternal through craft.
38. What message does the poem give about grief?
    That grief can be expressed in creative ways. And that shared sorrow may lead to healing.
39. Why is the quilt an important cultural object?
    Because it holds stories of life, especially of women. It reflects heritage, emotion, and craft.
40. What is the speaker’s final desire?
    That her quilt, with her grief, lies with her in death. So that her love story may never be forgotten.
41. What kind of pain is described in the poem?
    Emotional pain of separation and longing. It is deep and enduring.
42. What is meant by “this picture of my grief”?
    The quilt, which holds her pain. It is her emotional self-portrait.
43. What does the line ‘may mingling find relief’ suggest?
    That shared grief may bring peace. She wishes for emotional reconciliation.
44. What does the poem suggest about death?
    That it may not end love. Memories and emotions remain.
45. How does the woman view her life?
    As a tapestry of grief and memory. She honors it with the quilt.
46. What is the importance of silence in the poem?
    It shows quiet suffering and strength. She doesn’t speak but creates.
47. Why is embroidery a fitting metaphor for memory?
    Because it involves careful, lasting detail. Like memory, it builds slowly and stays long.
48. What is the poem’s connection to the land?
    The title refers to a field, linking craft to rural life. It reminds us of traditional village culture.
49. How does the poem honor women’s voices?
    By showing how they express emotion through art. Even silent stories are powerful.
50. What does the poem teach about cultural expression?
    That art preserves emotion and history. And even ordinary crafts hold deep meaning.
51. What does the embroidered quilt symbolize?
    The quilt symbolizes the woman’s emotional pain, grief, and life story. It acts as a canvas for her sorrows and memories, stitched into its fabric.
52. Why does the woman work on the quilt all night?
    She channels her grief into the quilt as a way to process loss. The act of embroidery becomes a ritual of mourning and remembrance.
53. What is “written on her breast” in the poem?
    The quilt’s embroidered patterns represent the joys and sorrows of Rupai’s life. Each stitch narrates a chapter of their shared or individual struggles.
54. How does the quilt connect to Rupai’s life?
    The quilt documents Rupai’s experiences “line by line.” It serves as a visual or tactile record of his suffering and legacy.
55. Why does the woman ask her mother to place the quilt on her grave?
    She wants her pain and Rupai’s to “mingle” in death, seeking shared relief. The quilt becomes a bridge between their souls in the afterlife.
56. What theme does the poem explore through the quilt?
    The poem explores grief as art—transforming sorrow into something tangible. It also highlights memory’s role in preserving love and loss.
57. How does the poem portray the relationship between art and pain?
    Art (embroidery) becomes a medium to externalize inner turmoil. The quilt turns private grief into a shared, enduring legacy.
58. What emotion dominates the woman’s actions?
    Sorrow and devotion dominate her work. Her stitching is both an act of mourning and a tribute to Rupai’s memory.
59. Why is the quilt called a “picture of my grief”?
    Its embroidered patterns visually map her emotional journey. Each thread represents a moment of suffering or love.
60. How does the poem address cultural heritage?
    The quilt embodies Bengali folk traditions of storytelling through handicrafts. It reflects how art preserves personal and communal history.
61. What rhyme scheme does the poem use?
    The poem follows an AABBrhyme scheme. Couplets create a rhythmic, lyrical flow akin to stitching.
62. How does repetition enhance the poem?
    Phrases like “line by line” mimic the repetitive motion of embroidery. It emphasizes the meticulous labor of grief.
63. What metaphor describes the quilt’s purpose?
    The quilt is a “field” where emotions are sown and harvested. It transforms grief into a fertile ground for memory.
64. Why is the quilt compared to a “bereaved plight”?
    Like Rupai’s suffering, the quilt carries weight and history. Both are marked by enduring pain and resilience.
65. How does imagery of “night” contribute to the mood?
    Night symbolizes solitude, introspection, and the passage of time. It mirrors the woman’s unending emotional labor.
66. Who is Rupai, and what role does he play?
    Rupai is likely the deceased poet or loved one mourned by the woman. His life and death inspire the quilt’s creation.
67. What role does the mother serve in the poem?
    The mother is a silent witness to the woman’s grief. She is entrusted with preserving the quilt as a funerary artifact.
68. How does the woman view her own pain?
    She sees her pain as inseparable from Rupai’s. Their shared grief unites them beyond death.
69. Why does the woman address her mother?
    The mother represents familial duty and continuity. Entrusting her with the quilt ensures her grief outlives her.
70. What does “mingling find relief” suggest about death?
    Death becomes a space where shared sorrow is reconciled. The quilt symbolizes hope for peace in unity.
71. How does the poem reflect Bengali rural culture?
    Embroidery and quilting are traditional art forms in Bengal. The poem elevates them as vehicles for storytelling and mourning.
72. What does the quilt reveal about gender roles?
    Women’s labor (sewing) becomes a silent, profound act of emotional expression. It critiques how female grief is often undervalued.
73. How does the poem align with Jasimuddin’s style?
    Jasimuddin, the “Palli Kabi” (folk poet), uses rural motifs to explore universal emotions. The quilt symbolizes folk artistry’s depth.
74. Why is the quilt a “glimpse of our culture”?
    It embodies Bengali traditions of craft and oral history. The poem preserves cultural identity through art.
75. What philosophical idea does “mingling relief” convey?
    It suggests interconnectedness in suffering and death. Shared pain transcends individual experience, offering collective solace.
76. How does the quilt act as a historical record?
    It documents Rupai’s life and the woman’s grief. Stitches become archival threads of personal and communal history.
77. Why is the woman’s grief “embroidered line by line”?
    Each stitch represents a deliberate act of remembrance. The process mirrors how grief unfolds gradually, layer by layer.
78. What does “bereaved plight” reveal about Rupai?
    Rupai’s life was marked by suffering or tragedy. The woman’s embroidery immortalizes his struggles and her empathy.
79. How does the poem blur life and death?
    The quilt is a funerary object but also a living testament to love. It bridges the mortal and the eternal.
80. Why does the woman equate the quilt with “all of mine”?
    Her identity is intertwined with Rupai’s memory. The quilt becomes an extension of her soul and sorrow.
81. How does embroidery serve as therapy for the woman?
    It externalizes her inner chaos into ordered beauty. The ritual of stitching provides control amid grief.
82. What contrast exists between the quilt’s beauty and its purpose?
    The quilt is artistically vibrant but承载着痛苦. This juxtaposition highlights art’s power to transform suffering into legacy.
83. Why does the poem focus on “night”?
    Night symbolizes the woman’s isolation and the timelessness of grief. It is when her emotions surface most intensely.
84. How does the quilt challenge silence around grief?
    It gives voice to unspoken pain through visual language. The woman’s labor refuses to let sorrow be forgotten.
85. What does “the story of Rupai’s life” imply about memory?
    Memory is fragile and requires preservation. The quilt ensures Rupai’s story survives beyond oral tradition.
86. How is the quilt a “field”?
    Like a field, it is a space where emotions are planted and nurtured. Both yield “harvests” (crops or memories).
87. What does “embroidered line by line” signify about storytelling?
    Stories are built incrementally, like stitches. Each detail contributes to the whole narrative.
88. Why is the quilt placed on a grave?
    It becomes a shroud linking the woman and Rupai in death. The grave transforms into a site of shared memory.
89. How does the poem equate sewing with writing?
    Both are acts of creation that immortalize emotions. The needle is her pen; the quilt is her manuscript.
90. What does “mingling find relief” suggest about love?
    Love persists beyond death, seeking unity. Shared grief becomes a source of comfort, not just pain.
91. How does the poem preserve Bengali folklore?
    It elevates quilting from craft to cultural narrative. The quilt becomes a folk artifact carrying collective memory.
92. Why is Rupai’s story significant to the community?
    His life likely represents broader struggles (poverty, loss). The quilt turns personal grief into communal heritage.
93. How does the poem critique societal neglect of women’s labor?
    The woman’s embroidery is dismissed as “craft,” but the poem reveals its emotional and cultural weight.
94. What role do mothers play in preserving culture here?
    The mother safeguards the quilt, ensuring it outlives the woman. She becomes a custodian of memory and tradition.
95. How does the poem reflect agrarian metaphors?
    The “field” of the quilt parallels rural life’s cycles (sowing, harvesting). Grief and art are natural, cyclical processes.
96. What lesson does the poem teach about grief?
    Grief, when channeled into art, becomes a legacy. It urges us to transform pain into something enduring.
97. How does the poem redefine mortality?
    Death is not an end but a continuation through memory. The quilt ensures the woman and Rupai “live” beyond their graves.
98. Why is this poem still relevant today?
    It resonates with anyone grappling with loss and legacy. Its themes of art, memory, and love are timeless.
99. How might the quilt inspire modern readers?
    It encourages using creativity to process emotions. The poem validates art as a tool for healing and resistance.
100. What does the poem ultimately celebrate?

It celebrates resilience, love, and cultural pride. Even in sorrow, the woman creates beauty that transcends death.