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Wed 19 Nov, 2003 09:17 am
I am starting this thread to introduce folks to this wonderful poet from the 17th century. He wrote in Hindi, which I totally do not speak, but I do have a dual-translation edition of the collection, which I shall start to share. My apologies, I have no idea how to do accents for the Hindi, so bear with me.
First volume: LOVE
1. sani kajjala cakha jhakha lagan, upajau sudhina saneha
kyom na nrpati hvai bhogavai, lahi sudesu saba deha
What her messenger said
Love's child was born
when you met her
at an auspicious moment
and looked into her collyrium-filled eyes.
Enjoy her now, lover,
as a king
his domain.
2. bahake saba jiya ki kahat, thaur kuthaur lakhairm na
china aurai china aura se, ye chabi chake nain
What she said to her companion
Drunk with his beauty
my wayward eyes
do not heed the occasion,
and forgetting themselves
boldly speak out my love
which I would rather
keep hid!
More to come....anyone who can give some insight into the accuracy of the translations I am reading, please pipe in.
Cav - this seems to be a very regional version of Hindi - I am guessing it is Bhojpuri....
Hmm...I will have to reread the intro. All I know is that it is ancient, and I can't read it, but the translations are beautiful. I find it interesting that Bihari wrote all in couplets, but the translations fill up many more lines. It makes me ponder on how inefficient English is.
Hmm, it seems it is Brajhabhasa, and Bihari was a part of a medieval poetry movement called Ritikala....the form must be unrelated to modern Hindi, like Chaucer is to modern English. I'm just guessing here.
It's very sensual and warm I assisted in the translation of some Urdu poetry a while ago, can't be rendered in English in the same way..
If you have any insight Clary, please let me know.
The brijbhasha was a dialect spoken in Brindaban, home to Lord Krishna.
Could you let me know the full name of the poet if it is there in the book ?
Here is the next verse:
3. phiri phiri cita utahim rahat, tuti laja ki lava
anga anga chabi jhaumra maim, bhayau bhaumra ki nava
What she said to her confidante
The rope of my shyness
has snapped,
my mind's boat is caught
in the whirpool of contemplation
of his lovely limbs.
Gautam, history is a bit spotty there, he was only known as Bihari, and he was a devotee of Krishna.
No insight from me, I only speak what used to be known as Bazaar Hindustani from when I lived in India 30 yrs ago. It does seem far removed from the Urdu I might recognise. Sorry!
I think Gautam got it there. No problem Clary.
Well, if he was a devotee of Krishna, no wonder he wrote in Brijbhasha - most of the text devoted to Lord Krishna is in this language....
Well, there are 700 verses, and I have posted three. 697 to go.
This may take some time...
4. citai lalacauhaim cakhana, dati ghumghat pata mamha
chala som cali chuvai kai, chinaka chabali chama.
What he said to her companion:
That lovely woman
threw an inviting glance at me
from within her veil
for just one moment,
and then
tantalizingly turned away
brushing me merely
ith her shadow!
5. piya bichurana kau dusaha dukha, harasu jata pyausara
durjomdhana laum dekhiyat, tajat prana ehi bara
What one of her companions said to another:
Torn between the anguish
of parting
from her husband
and the joy
of meeting her parents,
that woman's tortured mind
is like Duryodhana's
on his deathbed.
6. kinehum kotik jatan, ab kahi karhai kaun
bho mana mohan rupa mili, pani maim kau laun
What she said to her companion:
As salt dissolved in water
my thoughts are now one
with his bewitching beauty:
a million ways will not
bring them apart.
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