With so many faults, but with a heart of gold,
Bangladesh, my land,
Though so far away, you still remain my own,
The memories of summer’s heat,
Of winter’s chill, autumn rain
The scent of spring, oh-so-sweet,
Nourished by your love, upon your rich soil I had grown,
I’ll remember forever, my youth, I’ll remember
To love the land, the country,
That used to be my home.

From within my closed eyes, I can clearly see,
What a glorious place, you used to be,
The scorching sun high up in the blue sky
Made your people cry out for the rain,
For a summer storm, a relief from heat, a plea.
And I remember then, how it would rain,
For days and nights, flooding the land
Quenching the dry earth’s thirst, from April to May,
I used to be a child then, playful and free,
The days stretched on, and I watched you
Forever mesmerized by the changing seasons, the nature,
Bangladesh, the child watched you silently.

I remember the taste of your winter,
The chilly December, misty January,
The sweet scent of date juice, from Nanu’s kitchen,
Rice cakes dipped in hot milk, pitha’s fried, and crispy,
I remember those traditional, morning delicacies.
Nanu would watch over us- me, my sisters and my brother,
Sitting around the wooden table, loud and noisy, we- the little ones.
She’d scold us, faking anger, then break into a smile,
Yes, I remember Bangladesh, I remember,
My childhood, the memories of old times.
There was also Nana Bhai,
With his baldness and greying hair
Holding his ancient, crooked magnifying glass,
Squinting over the newspaper.
At the sound of a door opening and the shuffling young feet, he’d call out,
“Who is it?”
His knowing smile, the wise grin would always grow a little,
When I walked into his room, calling,
“Nana Bhai, it’s me”
He was my favourite teacher, my good old friend
His kind words, the best advices, are burned in my memory,
I remember Bangladesh, I remember all of it,
All those I’ve left behind with you,
Their love, their presence,
Will be forever with me.

I remember, I remember alright,
When my lil’ sis and I,
Made plans to sneak out of bed and sit in the balcony,
Arm in arm, secretly chatting all night.
I remember your busy streets,
The rickshaw rides, the traffic jams,
Within all that, there were always celebrations, festivities
Of Pujas, Christmas, two new years, and best of all
The most amazing two Eids.
All my childish dreams, old friends
I’ve left with you, the days of fun and games,
And left you behind, my Bangladesh.

I’ve learned to love from you,
Learned to stay strong in troubling times,
Like you stand, struggling to make your place,
I’ve also learned to hold on, learned to fight.
All I have achieved till’ today, I owe you the debt,
And I promise you, Bangladesh,
The roots of my existence, I can not ever forget.

With such little faults, and a heart of gold,
Bangladesh, my land,
You’re so far away, yet remain my own,
The memories of summer heat,
Of winter’s chill, autumn’s rain,
The scent of spring, oh-so-sweet.
Among my people, upon your rich soil I was born,
I’ll never forget, my youth and remember,
To love the country, the land- Bangladesh,
You used to be my home.