The Sagacious Woody

-
Image
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
3 comments

Catching the Thief

-
What a shame – Disgraceful! Such terrible crimes befall,
Beyond words, nowadays, outrageous thefts appal.
Just as I take a nap, sharp before the coffee break,
Immensely reduces my food, before I’m awake.
Someone devours it everyday – who I wonder,
And yesterday what happened went beyond a plunder!
Fried cutlets, five, three breads – buttered’n’toasted,
Two large wafers, a packet of almonds roasted,
And there were more – French fries and mayonnaise plenty –
But to my horror, I woke up and found my plate was empty!

 And so today I’m furious, filled with contempt and dislike,
Suffering for all these days, now it’s time to strike!
And hence all day long, I stand alert in cautious mood,
I’ll watch out and catch ’em who come to steal my food.
Whether you’re Tom, Dick or Harry I don’t care –
Whoever you are, I tell you – Stop right there.
Of struggles and fights, without the least fear or dread,
Whoever I find, at once – I’ll slice off their head!
And therefore, I stand hidden, equipped with shield and sword,
Watch out what I do to you – dare step forward.

 Every day I warned you, and still you didn’t pay any heed,
See how I punish you – come on and proceed!
(Bengali original: Chor Dhora)
Translated by Arkajyoti Banerjee

চোর ধরা

আরে ছি ছি ! রাম রাম ! ব'লো নাহে ব'লো না,
চল্‌ছে যা জুয়াচুরি, নাহি তার তুলনা !
যেই আমি দেই ঘুম টিফিনের আগেতে,
ভয়ানক ক'মে যায় খাবারের ভাগেতে !
রোজ দেখি খেয়ে গেছে, জানিনাকো কারা সে,
কালকে যা হ'য়ে গেল ডাকাতির বাড়া সে !
পাঁচখানা কাট্‌লেট‌, লুচি তিন গণ্ডা,
গোটা দুই জিবে গজা, গুটি দুই মণ্ডা,
আরো কত ছিল পাতে আলুভাজা ঘুঙ্‌নি—
ঘুম থেকে উঠে দেখি পাতাখানা শূন্যি !

 তাই আজ ক্ষেপে গেছি—কত আর পার্‌ব ?
এতদিন স'য়ে স'য়ে এইবারে মার্‌ব ৷
খাড়া আছি সারাদিন হুঁশিয়ার পাহারা,
দেখে নেব রোজ রোজ খেয়ে যায় কাহারা ৷
রামু হও, দামু হও, ওপাড়ার ঘোষ বোস্—
যেই হও, এইবারে থেমে যাবে ফোঁস্‌ফোঁস্ ৷
খাট্‌বে না জারিজুরি আঁটবে না মার্‌প্যাঁচ্
যারে পাব ঘাড়ে ধ'রে কেটে দেব ঘ্যাঁচ্‌ঘ্যাঁচ্ ৷
এই দেখ ঢাল নিয়ে খাড়া আছি আড়ালে,
এইবারে টের পাবে মুণ্ডুটা বাড়ালে ৷

 রোজ বলি 'সাবধান !' কানে তবু যায় না ?
ঠেলাখানা বুঝ্‌বি তো এইবারে আয় না !

By Sukumar Ray

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fear Not!

-
Image
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
Read more

The Tickling Old Man

-
Image
Across the seven seas, go wherever you like you can,  But beware! Never ever approach the tickling old man. A terrible old man – dare not step into his hut – He’ll tickle you on and on till rips apart your gut. No one knows where he stays, in which land so eerie, Once he finds you alone, he’ll read you out a story. So strange his tales are, God knows from which days of yore, They have not the least fun, but they’d make one feel sore. Those tales have no head or tail – total gibberish! Still it is must to laugh – that too against your wish. If it is just a story, one can still bear and endure, But he tickles you with a long feather, and that’s for sure. Keeps on blabbering, “Ho! Ho! Ho! William’s aunt Always sold pumpkins, yams, duck eggs and linseed plant. The eggs were long, the pumpkins but crooked and bent, On the yams were sketched designs in colourful paint. The aunt, in a faint voice, hummed and sang the whole day, Meow-meow, coo-coo-c
Read more

Pumpkin-Plumpkin

-
Image
Have a look at this freaky peculiar creature, You've never learnt or been taught by any teacher - Don't think I am joking, really, I am serious... If you don't obey my words, he'll just get furious! Pumpkin-Plumpkin (If) Pumpkin-Plumpkin dances – Never approach the stables by any chances, Don’t look left or right and don’t take backward glances; Hang with all four legs from Ruckus-radish branches! (If) Pumpkin-Plumpkin cries – Beware! Never sit on rooftops under the skies; Lie prone in tree-houses, blankets shoulder to thighs, Sing ‘Radhe Krishna Radhe’ in deafening sighs! (If) Pumpkin-Plumpkin laughs – Stand on one leg by kitchen, with no stick or staffs; Speak Persian in whispers, muffled by breath in halves; Fasting all three meals, lie on grass like astray calves! (If) Pumpkin-Plumpkin runs – Make sure you all clamber up the windows at once; Hookah water mixed with rouge, smear lips’n’cheeks in tons; And dare
Read more