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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Uncle's Widget

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So queer is Chandidash’s Uncle’s widget,
Praised by all from young lads to old midget.
When he’s an infant, which is undoubted,
All of a sudden, ‘Goongah!’ he shouted.
Kids babble ‘mama’, ‘gaga’ all such wack,
Hearing ‘Goongah’ all were taken aback.
They said, “If he survives and grows up fit,
He’ll surely achieve something by his wit.”
Now that same Uncle’s widget – please don’t laugh –
Quickens five hours route to an hour and half!
The widget is a bit too simple gear,
Handle it a few hours and it’s clear.
Its mechanism is really so cool –
When on shoulder one attaches the tool.
Then his favourite snack hangs before him,
Sandwiches, cutlets, desserts or ice-crème.
Gluttony makes one run after the food,
And so does the food run, swift as it should.
Eagerness and greed makes him run with speed;
Ankle sprain? Muscle pain? He’ll pay no heed.
It would take him hundred miles with patience,
With no agony, lost in food’s fragrance.
All say in one voice, tall lads to midgets –
“It is so unique among all widgets.”
(Bengali original: Khuror Kol)
Translated by Arkajyoti Banerjee

খুড়োর কল

কল করেছেন আজব রকম চণ্ডীদাসের খুড়ো—
সবাই শুনে সাবাস্ বলে পাড়ার ছেলে বুড়ো।
খুড়োর যখন অল্প বয়স– বছর খানেক হবে—
উঠ্‌ল কেঁদে 'গুংগা' বলে ভীষণ অট্টরবে।
আর তো সবাই 'মামা' 'গাগা' আবোল তাবোল বকে,
খুড়োর মুখে 'গুংগা' শুনে চম্‌কে গেল লোকে।
বল্‌লে সবাই, "এই ছেলেটা বাঁচলে পরে তবে,
বুদ্ধি জোরে এ সংসারে একটা কিছু হবে।"
সেই খুড়ো আজ কল করেছেন আপন বুদ্ধি বলে,
পাঁচ ঘন্টার রাস্তা যাবেন দেড় ঘন্টায় চলে।
দেখে এলাম কলটি অতি সহজ এবং সোজা,
ঘন্টা পাঁচেক ঘাঁটলে পরে আপনি যাবে বোঝা।
বলব কি আর কলের ফিকির, বলতে না পাই ভাষা,
ঘাড়ের সঙ্গে যন্ত্র জুড়ে এক্কেবারে খাসা।
সামনে তাহার খাদ্য ঝোলে যার যে–রকম রুচি—
মণ্ডা মিঠাই চপ্ কাট্‌লেট্ খাজা কিংবা লুচি।
মন বলে তায় 'খাব খাব', মুখ চলে তায় খেতে,
মুখের সঙ্গে খাবার চলে পাল্লা দিয়ে মেতে।
এমনি করে লোভের টানে খাবার পানে চেয়ে,
উৎসাহেতে হুঁস্ রবে না চলবে কেবল ধেয়ে।
হেসে খেলে দু–দশ যোজন চলবে বিনা ক্লেশে,
খাবার গন্ধে পাগল হয়ে জিভের জলে ভেসে।
সবাই বলে সমস্বরে ছেলে জোয়ান বুড়ো,
অতুল কীর্তি রাখল ভবে চণ্ডীদাসের খুড়ো। 

(By Sukumar Ray)

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