1
Against the monsoon Skies… from BhanusingherPadabali
(from Shaongaganeghorghanaghata, BhanusingherPadabali)
Against the monsoon skies, heavy clouds wrack the deep
of night.
How will a helpless girl go through the thick
groves,Ofriend,
Crazed winds sweep by the Yamuna, the clouds thunder
loud.
The lightning strikes, the trees have fallen, the body
trembles
In the heavy rain, the clouds shower a downpour.
Under the shaal, piyale, taal, tamal trees, the grove
is lonely and quiet at night.
Where, friend, is he hiding in this treacherous grove
And enticing us with his wonderful flute calling out
to Radha?
Put on a garland of pearls, a shithi* in my
parting,
My odni* is flying as is my hair; tie a champak
garland.
Don’t go in the deep of the night to the youth, O
young girl.
You are scared of the loud clapping thunder, says
Bhanu your humble server.
*shithi: Ornament worn in the
parting of the hair.
*odni:
A long stole or scarf
2
How Do you Sing O Divine One
(from Tagore’s Tumi kemon kore gaan koro he guni)
 |
| Mitali Chakravarty |
I only listen to you in awe.
The tune is like the light that flashes through the
world,
The tune is like the breeze that flows through the
skies,
It thunders like a torrent ripping through rocks
Flowing creating a wondrous music.
I try to sing in that melody
And yet I cannot find that in my voice.
The lyrics hesitate to say what I want —
My life surrenders itself to you
You have trapped me
***
Bionote: Mitali Chakravarty is writer and the editor of Borderless Journal. She has been published in journals and anthologies. She translates from Bengali to English. She translated ‘The Full Circle’, a Partition story set in Noakhali, in Nabendu Ghosh’s That Bird Called Happiness and ‘Anchor’ by the same author in a collection called Mistress of Melodies, both edited by Ratnottama Sengupta and published by Speaking Tiger Books. She has translated him online as well as is translating another novella by Ghosh.
Two beautiful transcreation. The soul and essence of the Bengali language, the Tagorean flavour, remains unchanged. Splendid work, Mitali
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot
DeleteHi Mitali,
ReplyDeleteTranslations, particularly of famous verses, always remains a challenge.There is the danger of losing the essence and feel of the original. Apart from of course the intrinsic difficulty of getting the reader to wear Tagore's Bangla lens of seeing situations.
Having said that,I dare say you have done a good job and I acknowledge you for that.
Regards
Shakti Ghosal
Very kind of you. Thank you.
Delete