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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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
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ভয় পেয়োনা (Bhoy Peona)

ভয় পেয়ো না, ভয় পেয়ো না, তোমায় আমি মারব না—
সত্যি বলছি কুস্তি ক'রে তোমার সঙ্গে পারব না।
মনটা আমার বড্ড নরম, হাড়ে আমার রাগটি নেই,
তোমায় আমি চিবিয়ে খাব এমন আমার সাধ্যি নেই!
মাথায় আমার শিং দেখে ভাই ভয় পেয়েছ কতই না—
জানো না মোর মাথার ব্যারাম, কাউকে আমি গুঁতোই না?
এস এস গর্তে এস, বাস ক'রে যাও চারটি দিন,
আদর ক'রে শিকেয় তুলে রাখব তোমায় রাত্রিদিন।
হাতে আমার মুগুর আছে তাই কি হেথায় থাকবে না?
মুগুর আমার হাল্‌কা এমন মারলে তোমায় লাগবে না।
অভয় দিচ্ছি, শুনছ না যে ? ধরব নাকি ঠ্যাং দুটা?
বসলে তোমার মুণ্ডু চেপে বুঝবে তখন কাণ্ডটা!
আমি আছি, গিন্নী আছেন, আছেন আমার নয় ছেলে—
সবাই মিলে কামড়ে দেব মিথ্যে অমন ভয় পেলে।
(By Sukumar Ray)

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