THE FIRST DAY’S SUN

English Translation of  Tagore's original Bengali poem  "Pratham Diner Surya"  by DEBIDAS RAY

Upon arrival of the new entity,

the first day’s sun

asked the question,

“Who are you?”

There was no answer.

After many years elapsed,

the day’s last sun

at the western shore of the sea

-in quietness of the evening-

asked for the last time,

“Who are you?”

Didn’t get any reply.

English translation of Rabindranath Tagore’s poem entitled “Pratham Diner Surya” from his collection of poems “Shesh Lekha” in SANCHAYITA, 11th ed.2010, p838.
Published in POETRY WORLD, vol.5(no1) April 2012, p14.

       

FEAR OF BEWITCHMENT

English Translation of  Tagore's original Bengali poem "Moher Ashanka"  by DEBIDAS RAY

The budding flower opened its eye and
                                           beheld this earth –
green, beautiful, pleasant and full of
                                           musical sounds.
Just then, calling the world at large it
                                            said, “My dear,
as long as I stay, you please stay here too.”

                                                                           

  English translation of Rabindranath Tagore’s poem entitled “Moher Ashanka” in his collection  of poems  “Kanika” in SANCHAYITA, 4^thed, 1943.p292.

 Published in POETRY WORLD,vol 4(no3), July 2011, p18-19.                   

ROYAL ORDER

English Translation of  Tagore's original Bengali poem “Raj Byabastha”  by DEBIDAS RAY

The emperor - out of fear – stays put in the police station,

Whatever laws he promulgates, are never complied with.

His roving spies are always on the look out,

If by chance, any saintly person strays and is found alone

They have to inform the king at once -

For his safety, they keep the saint in prison.

                                                                                                  

English Translation of Rabindranath Tagore’s poem entitled “Raj Byabastha” in his collection of poems “Chharar Chhabi” in Sanchayita,4th ed.1943, p762.

Published in POETRY WORLD, vol 3(no9),January 2011,p29.

IN SICK BED

English Translation of  Tagore's original Bengali poem " Rogasajjaay" by DEBIDAS RAY 

In the land of Gods during dance festivals,

if even for a moment, a tired Urvashi

by chance misses a single step,

the King of Gods does not pardon her.

In venues where human beings meet

there too, the same rules of heavens apply.

That is why, there is diffidence underlying

my literary work because I fear that

due to exhaustion at the end of a burning fevered day

there may occur – in such pursuit - laxity

and inadvertent faltering in steps.

English translation of the introduction to “Rogasajjaay” – a collection of poems written  in sick bed by Rabindranath Tagore in SANCHAYITA, 4^th.ed, 1943, p876.

 Published in POETRY WORLD, vol 3(no 8), December 2010, p26.

WORTHY OF DEVOTION

English Translation of  Tagore's original Bengali poem " Bhakti Bhajan" by DEBIDAS RAY

It is chariot festival; crowds are thronging the streets,

There is great pomp and grandeur on show -

The devotees lie prostrate on road and pay their obeisance.

The road felt it must be the God they were praying to,

The chariot harboured similar thoughts,

The idol too considered itself to be the deity concerned

while the Omnipotent Almighty had a good laugh.

                                                

English translation of Rabindranath Tagore’s poem entitled

“Bhakti Bhajan” from his collection of poems “Kanika” in SANCHAYITA, 4^th.ed. 1943, p290.

 Published in POETRY WORLD, vol 3(no7), November 2010, p19.

GETTING LOST

English Translation of  Tagore's original Bengali poem "HAARIYE JAAOA" by DEBIDAS RAY

My little daughter heard a call from her

friends below and  went down the stairs.

As she was afraid of the darkness

she was slow and hesitant in her steps.

She was carrying a lamp in her hand

which she covered carefully with part of her sari.

I stayed on the roof

It was spring; the month was Chaitra

and the night sky was full of stars.

Suddenly, I heard my daughter crying

and I hurried down to see her.

It so happened that while going down the stairs

the lamp she was carrying

had got blown off by the wind.

When I asked, “What’s the matter Bami?”

She cried from below, “I have got lost.”

On that starry night of Chaitra

when I went back to the roof

and looked at the sky, it seemed to me

that someone like my daughter Bami

was protecting the flame of a lamp

with the expanse of her sky blue apparel

and was walking slowly all by her own.

I wondered that if by chance, the light went off

and suddenly everything came to a halt, then perhaps

she too would fill the sky with her cry and scream,

“I have got lost.”

English translation of Rabindranath Tagore’s poem entitled "Haariye Jaaoa" from his collection of poems "Palaataka" in SANCHAYITA, 4^thed. 1943, p 572-573.

Published in POETRY WORLD, vol 3 (no3), July 2010, p 32-33.