rubber

rubber die ghoshte thaki
oi hiji biji lekha gulor opor
muchhe felte chai
kichu likhito jeebon.
kintu othey na kali
mochhe na lekha
shudhu kalo daag chhoriye pore
r roktakto hote thake
jeeboner pata guli.
bhoy pai
kepe uthi
chhirey jabe na to pechhoner
shada pata gulo?
amar agamir olikhito
golpo ra chhire jabe na to?
rubber ta ghoshte ghoste
khoy hote thake.
tobu bhoy rokto jontrona
mochhe na.
likhte parina ami notun
kono golpo, bhoye,
bhishon bhoye,
jodi abar muchhte hoy
ei bifol rubber diye?

For The Magic-Man -- trying to translate you

This is a song by Rabindranath Tagore.He is the God of Bengali poetry and he is my dadamoshai (grandpa)! He is a poet of all seasons, all reasons, all emotions and all tales. this song is playing in my heart and this post is dedicated to the angel of poetry. it is difficult, perhaps impossible to transliterate his song. but for my foreign readers, i will try. dadamoshai, tumi bhari dustu. bujhi ba kono golpoi nei ja tomar ojana, kono onubhuti nei,ja tumi jano na.

sei bhalo sei bhalo,
amare na hoy na jano,
sei bhalo sei bhalo
durey giye noy dukkho debe
kache kano laaje lajano?

(its better this way,

that you know me not.

if you go far away, i shall weep

but why come near and make me blush so deep?)

mor basante legeche to sur
benu bono chhaya, hoeche modhur,
thak na emoni gondhe bidhur,
milono kunjo sajano,
sei bhalo sei bhalo,
amare nahoy na jano,
sei bhalo sei bhalo

(music has coloured my spring,

the flute and the forest shades have sweetened,

let it remain so in mellowed fragrance,

bower of the lover's union so decorated.

its better this way

that you know me not.

its better this way)

gopone dekhechi
tomar byakul noyone bhaber khela
utolo anchol elokhelo chul dekhechi jhorero bela
gopone dekhechi tomar,
tomate amate hoyni j kotha
morme amar,ache se barota, na bola bani
na bola banir niye akulota
amar bashiti bajano

(secretly i have seen

the play of emotions in your anxious eyes,

the restless veil, ruffled hair i have seen in the stormy noon,

secretly i have seen yours,

we havent spoken words to each other,

in my heart, remains the message, the unuttered lines,

with the restless anxiety of those unuttered lines

i play my flute.)

sei bhalo sei bhalo
amare nahoy na jano
durey gie nahoy dukkho debe
kache kano laaje lajano,
sei bhalo sei bhalo,
amare nahoy na jano
sei bhalo sei bhalo

(its better this way,

that you dont know me.

if you go far away, i shall weep

but why come near and make me blush so deep?

its better this way,

that you know me not,

its better this way)

# 1

Empty reasons and quickened footfalls.

Songs unknown weaving a symphony secretly.

A knowing look and a stolen glance.

Unknown destiny weaving a tale somewhere.

A shower of love and umbrella of rain.

Offering

Among hundreds of flowers

the eyes find its cheer

and some gay optimism.

One white flower amongst

them all I choose to keep.

Heaps of flowers all around

and my heart is happy with

dollops of colourful excitement,

but one small white drop

keeps my senses filled.

I revel in the colours of joy

and one white flower

peeping in from between

numbs my heart to ecstacy.

I stoop to pick, to keep, to care

and stop. Is it there for me?

Do I deserve? What if it is for

someone else who shall make a

garland and the white speck of

simple purity shall deck a royal

neck or His divine feet?

I do not deserve. I have nothing

to offer. I have no rights to gain.

The pool of flowers smile at me

as I offer my dew-wet choice to Eternity

with a silent prayer and a content smile.

Sokaler Kotha

Sokalbelar rod dustumi kore

chokhe mukhe gaale alo chhoae.

Uthe bosi, jhimoi kotokkhon,

janalar baire shalikh gulo

Otho Otho ! kore boddo chechae.

Uthei pori. moha jalaton.

Elomelo chul niye,

folafola mukh, golapi chokh

adhkhana khule kono motey,

ayna dekhi prothombar.

Kolpona kori tar dristi-khani.

Jodi sokalbelar ei aluthalu

beshe, ghum-makha mukh-khana

se dekhto? Ador dito? Na na.
Tar noyon-jora boshai amar
chokhe, dekhte thaki opoloke,
chhute thaki mukh khana
oi ghum makhano chokh diye,
chinte thaki nijekei oi jadu aynar
kacher majhe, r bhabi...

Hotat kamon ochin lagey.

Ki hoeche? Ki hoeche?

Hotat kore ki j holo? Ki jeno besh...

O ma! Besh moja j? E abar ki?

Dekhi pither dikey chhoriye ache,

norom norom sporshomakha

holud ronger sopno-aka,

dui dikey dui dana!

Ami alto chhue dekhi, amar sonali

dui dana, mar badhon kholar dak.

Amar bondho ghorer faak,

amar dokhin khola hawa,

amar sopno jurey pawa, amar

urtey j nei mana, ami peyechi

norom dana.

Tobu bhoy lagey jeno khub,

kon ochin bhashae dub

diechi, sur tulechi, sob bhulechi,

tobu bhoy dhoreche chepe.

Ami bhabchi kar kotha? Amar

dana diye ki hobe? Amar shekol

ache pore, amar lohar boro ghore,

ami baire gele chhute, joto pagla

hawa jutey amar dana felbe chhire.

Premer kajol eke chokhe, abar jolei

dhuye debo. ki hobe sopno dekhe?

Ki hobe kajol eke? Sei byathai debe daak.

Amar dana duto tai thak.

Ami hariye nahoy jaboi, oi surjo-pora ghaase.