আজকে বেশ কয়েকবার বাংলাদেশকে নিয়ে গাওয়া জন বায়েজ ও জর্জ হ্যারিসনের গাওয়া দুটি গান শুনলাম। গান দুটি এত অসধারণ যে আপনাদের সাথে শেয়ার না করে পারলাম না। গানগুলো শুনলে আপনাদের চোখের সামনে ৭১ এর দৃশ্যপট ভেসে উঠবে। দুটি গানেরই কথা ও সুর অসাধারণ সুন্দর। আমার কাছে অবশ্য জর্জ হ্যারিসনের চেয়ে জন বায়েজের গাওয়া গানটিই বেশী ভালো লেগেছে।

প্রথমেই ইউটিউব থেকে শেয়ার করলাম আমেরিকান ফোক মিউজিশিয়ান জন বায়েজের গানটি...
গানটির লিরিক্স ইংরেজীতে নিম্নে উল্লেখ করা হলো,
SONG OF BANGLADESH
(Words and Music by Joan Baez)

Bangladesh, Bangladesh
Bangladesh, Bangladesh
When the sun sinks in the west
Die a million people of the Bangladesh

The story of Bangladesh
Is an ancient one again made fresh
By blind men who carry out commmands
Which flow out of the laws upon which nation stands
Which is to sacrifice a people for a land

Bangladesh, Bangladesh
Bangladesh, Bangladesh
When the sun sinks in the west
Die a million people of the Bangladesh

Once again we stand aside
And watch the families crucified
See a teenage mother's vacant eyes
As she watches her feeble baby try
To fight the monsoon rains and the cholera flies

And the students at the university
Asleep at night quite peacefully
The soldiers came and shot them in their beds
And terror took the dorm awakening shrieks of dread
And silent frozen forms and pillows drenched in red

Bangladesh, Bangladesh
Bangladesh, Bangladesh
When the sun sinks in the west
Die a million people of the Bangladesh

Did you read about the army officer's plea
For donor's blood? It was given willingly
By boys who took the needles in their veins
And from their bodies every drop of blood was drained
No time to comprehend and there was little pain

And so the story of Bangladesh
Is an ancient one again made fresh
By all who carry out commands
Which flow out of the laws upon which nations stand
Which say to sacrifice a people for a land

Bangladesh, Bangladesh
Bangladesh, Bangladesh
When the sun sinks in the west
Die a million people of the Bangladesh

নিউ ইয়র্কের ম্যাডিসন স্কয়ার গার্ডেনে অনুষ্ঠিত কনসার্ট ফর বাংলাদেশ এ গাওয়া জর্জ হ্যারিসনের গানটি ...

দ্য বিট্লস ভেঙ্গে যাওয়ার পর এটা ছিল জর্জ হ্যারিসনের প্রথম লাইভ পারফরমেন্স। গানটির লিরিক্স হলো,
Bangla Desh
George Harrison

My friend came to me, with sadness in his eyes
He told me that he wanted help
Before his country dies

Although I couldn't feel the pain, I knew I had to try
Now I'm asking all of you
To help us save some lives

Bangla Desh, Bangla Desh
Where so many people are dying fast
And it sure looks like a mess
I've never seen such distress
Now won't you lend your hand and understand
Relieve the people of Bangla Desh

Bangla Desh, Bangla Desh
Such a great disaster - I don't understand
But it sure looks like a mess
I've never known such distress
Now please don't turn away, I want to hear you say
Relieve the people of Bangla Desh
Relieve Bangla Desh

Bangla Desh, Bangla Desh
Now it may seem so far from where we all are
It's something we can't neglect
It's something I can't neglect
Now won't you give some bread to get the starving fed
We've got to relieve Bangla Desh
Relieve the people of Bangla Desh
We've got to relieve Bangla Desh
Relieve the people of Bangla Desh

বিজয়ের চল্লিশ বছর পূর্তিতে সবাইকে জানাই শুভেচ্ছা।