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...
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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, novellas, plays, essays for children, and even biographies. He is known to have written a few articles and essays in English also. 

There have been several translations of Abol Tabol into English by various enthusiasts. Even Satyajit Ray tried to translate some of the poems of his father, but could do only a few of them. His collection of translations is known as Nonsense Rhymes. 

I myself have translated some poems of Abol Tabol. Some of them are complete, and I am continuing to translate more and more. I hope to try my best and translate as many of the poems as I can. As I translate the poems one by one, I am going to publish them in this blog. 



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