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Showing posts from March, 2018

The Sagacious Woody

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Behold! The old beardy hunches over his pot – He licks up, in broad daylight, his damp woods stewed hot! He shakes his head, keeps muttering hymns like a mage – From his ways, you would think he’s no less than a sage! Blabbers all day long – you’d wonder from where they stem – “The sky’s full of cobwebs, so woods have holes in them.” He raises his bald head and beads of sweat run down, “Nobody can fathom its gravity –” he’d frown, “These foolish dunderheads, to such matters purblind, Don’t seem to take in – always wrangling in their mind. Which wood has more essence – blind to facts such simple – Why on eleventh lunar days, woods get dimple.” Scribbled around all o’er, in fact, is his account Of cracked woods and notched woods – he loses not a count! Which hole tastes delicious, and which hole’s insipid, Which crack gives off fragrance, and which one smells horrid. Clunk! Clank! Clackety-rattle! He knocks wood with wood, And says, “I know which wood in what way gets subdued. Paying a

Fear Not!

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Fear Not The Original sketch by Sukumar Ray Fear not, fear not – rest assured, I will beat you not – Really, if we wrestle, I can defeat you not. My heart is too soft; fury is what my bones lack, To chew you up and eat alive, I have no knack! You fear so much seeing horns on my head jutting out, Don’t you know my head pains, these aren’t for butting out? Come, come to my burrow, stay four days, I invite, With love I’ll bring you up, and keep you day and night. Seeing club on my hand, you say you don’t want to stay? This club won’t hit you hard, for too light does it weigh. Still not assured? Tell, should I grab you by your feet? I’ll sit over your head and then you’ll try to fleet. I’m there, my wife is there, and I have nine sons too – Fear once more so stupidly, and we’ll all bite you. (Bengali original:  Bhoy Peona ) Translated by Arkajyoti Banerjee ----------------------------------------------------- ভয় পেয়োনা (Bhoy Peona) ভয় পেয়ো

The Stolen Moustache

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The Stolen Moustache  The Big Boss of Head Office, a man quiet’n’calm, Who knew that such a person would e’er fight or harm? Fine he was, in happy mood, mounted on his chair, Dozing off, suddenly got tempted in despair! Gave a start, threw hands and feet, popped up his eyeball, Prompted he, “Pick me quick, or surely I will fall!” Some were calling doctors, while some called the police, Some said, “Pick him carefully, he’ll bite lost if peace.” Hustle-bustle, helter-skelter, bustled and mobbed, Shouted the Big Boss, “Listen – My moustache is robbed!” Moustache stolen? So strange it seems! Really, is it? The pair remains there intact, reduced not a bit. All try to convince, a mirror in front holding, Moustache isn’t stolen, never happens such a thing. Like eggplants in oil, his blood came to boil, he stormed, “I trust none of you; of you all I’m well informed. “Bushy pricky, dirty broomsticky and such rash, “The milkman of Shyam Babu had such

Freaky Farrago!

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When duck was porcupine (grammar I disobey), It then turned Duckupine, I know not in what way! "Behold! Thou tortoise," exclaims the stork with all glee, "With us as the Stortoise, really unique are we!" The parrot-faced lizard felt rather uneasy— Leaving bugs to eat just chili made him queasy. God knows what treacherous plot the goat had in mind, It chased the scorpion, got their head'n'torso combined! Wandering in fields, giraffe, weary, felt as crass, Now with wings of Dragonfly, it could fly o'er grass. In panic was the cow – "What a gruesome blunder!  Why a wild rooster is on my back, I wonder." The Elewhale felt terrible and rather grim— While Ele yearns for jungle the whale craves to swim! Hornet mourns, "I've no horns," now merges with a deer, Now pleased, the horned hornet has no more gripe or fear. (Bengali original: Khichuri) Translation by: Arkajyoti Banerjee [Note: The Bengali origina

Verses of the Impossible

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Verses of the Impossible Come nit-witty, whimsies pretty, In this city, dream dancing hums; Come wacky mads, gibberish lads, Bring along scads of beating drums. Come hear the strain of songs insane Lacking in brain, lacking in tunes. Come here with love, flying high like dove, Senses above — floating balloons. Come crazy fools, forgetting rules, Happy and cool, dancing hip-hop; Come reckless loons, unruly goons, Lawless baboons, haphazard glop! Peculiar prank, comical crank Being dopey and drank, ringing knell — So come and see this world of glee                 Verses of the impossible. Translation by: Arkajyoti Banerjee ----------------------------   The above poem was the translated version of the original Bengali poem 'Abol Tabol', the beginning poem, an introductory poem of the Abol Tabol collection by Sukumar Ray. I am also providing the original Bengali poem below fo

A Great Poet... Sukumar Ray

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Welcome to the very first post of this blog. In this blog, I am going to publish the English translations of the poems of Abol Tabol (and probably a few others also) which was composed by one of the greatest Bengali poets, an important feature of the Bengal Renaissance, Sukumar Ray. About Sukumar Ray: Sukumar Ray was born in Calcutta in British India, 30 October, 1887 and died at an early age of just 35 in Garpar, North Calcutta, 10 September, 1923. He was the son of Upendrakishore Ray, also a children’s story writer. Sukumar Ray was the father of the last feature of Bengal Renaissance, Satyajit Ray, an Indian filmmaker, graphic artist, music composer  and a prolific writer . He was a Bengali children’s humorous poet, whole most popular set of poem is Abol Tabol (which literally translates as Nonsense or Gibberish ). His other notable works were Ha-Ja-Ba-Ra-La and Pagla Dashu (Crazy Dashu). Apart from these, he also wrote several other short stories, novella