In the lap of winter woodlands

শীতের বনে কোন্ সে কঠিন আসবে ব'লে
Sheeter boney

In the lap of winter woodlands
Shefali flowers fall and fade
In fear of the coming harshness

Amlaki bowers look bereft
Having shed their leafy weave
The laughter of Kaash flowers
Depart in the wafting wind

Not willing to endure
A disquiet amid the green
The passion flower pales
Forsaking her colourful sheen

The north wind is here to reign
He prepares for austerities
At whose behest is this game
To shed off frills and fancies

The winter wind has set astir

শীতের হাওয়ার লাগল নাচন
Sheeter haway laglo nachon

The winter wind has set astir
A dance in the Amlaki* bowers
The leaves with a tingle and thrill
Flutter down and fall to the beat

A fly-away frenzy springs in
And leaves her bereft at last
Her bounty of fruit remain
No longer hidden from view

For whom it is mere play
To purge and replenish
I wait for her all day

A caressing chill now and then
Passes me a summons as if
The time to relinquish my all
When will it come, in which morning

*Amlaki - Indian gooseberry

The steadfast eyes

অনিমেষ আঁখি সেই কে দেখেছে
Awnimesh aankhi shei ke dekhechhe

Who has seen those steadfast eyes
The eyes that gaze at the world
The sun, moon, stars and planets
Laying sight on those eyes
Never lose their bearings

Why alarmed by darkness
Do I wander and wail?
Why do I not look into
My heart’s firmament?
Those eyes stay awake
An abiding flame
Perchance masked by
The fog of Samsara

Cast your raft into the boundless sea

অনন্তসাগরমাঝে দাও তরী ভাসাইয়া
awnontosagoromajhe dao tori bhashaiya

Cast your raft into the boundless sea
Gone are joy and woe, gone is all hope

Stretches on the night ahead
For us wayfaring two
Stretches out the sea ahead
Where to without a clue

Serene is the sea, boundless the shores
Calm blue waters melting into the vacant blue

Not a whisper, not a sound
All silent, as if by a charm
Night approaches slowly
Embracing all with both arms

I have come away

তোমার শেষের গানের রেশ নিয়ে
Tomar shesher gaaner resh niye (audio link)

I have come away relishing
Your ultimate song.
Will anyone notice my abandonment?

You articulated your heart with music,
While I kept gazing at your eyes.
That is how I whispered my prolific secret;
Will anyone notice my vibes?

The others were not drunken at that moment,
The wine-glass was yet to drain.
There was a rumpus of bustle
With fresh faces, new company.

And I relentlessly dashed
My last hope of return;
Will anyone notice my absence?

Show up my love, ignite the lamp

এসো গো, জ্বেলে দিয়ে যাও প্রদীপখানি
Esho go jele diye jao (Debarata Biswas audio link)
       
Show up my love, ignite the lamp
In my hushed hut,
A day of high rain meets dusky twilight,
Shadowy clouds blot the forests.

Create an epiphany as I await you,
In the mild sweetness of braided jasmines,
With the blue stole of yours, shade our rendezvous,
Like the splendor of a prolific night.

Yet my flute is lost and I have no music to summon you.
As I gaze at your path with speechless longing,
Do you hear me?
Can you fathom my quivering heart in the teary wind?

Shadowy clouds, moist winds

মেঘছায়ে সজল বায়ে মন আমার
Megho chhaaye shojolo baaye (audio link)

Shadowy clouds, moist winds,
My wistfulness, besotted with
An invisible smile, an unconscious heartache.

The Medlar buds you braided for me as love's gift,
Have since wilted, but the fragrance lingers in my heart.

I know you will never return, ever
I know how distant your path is from mine

Yet your parting does not deplete my world, entirely
You picked up my flute on your way
Leaving a cascade of your songs to live by.

You tease him and make him beg

এরে ভিখারি সাজায়ে কী রঙ্গ তুমি করিলে
Ere bhikhari shajaye (video link)

You tease him and make him beg
even the the sky laughs at your stunt.

He potters on the path, seeks charitable doors
safeguards coins painstakingly.
and then you raid his last cent.

He could just be an endless bankrupt,
he could live, and die like that.

And then he approaches your majesty
asks for charity with much trepidation.
In his disbelief, you give him half your throne,
you give him your heart's jewel.

I feel I walked countless miles

মনে হল যেন পেরিয়ে এলেম
Mone holo jeno periye elem

I feel I walked countless miles,
Navigating barren deserts
To touch luscious meadows, sweet opulence,
Just to arrive at your door.

I braided moist jasmines on my pathway,
Their fragrance, a somber devoted eagerness;
Please do not embarrass their love, unmasked.

Clouds laden with rain dim the forest,
The air singes with the mysterious pain
Of loving to get lost.

There is a solitary lamp at your window
That I note from afar; my eyes, dying, yearning birds
In a murky thundershower.

The crimson glow of dusk tinged that day of Chaitra

প্রহরশেষের আলোয় রাঙা সেদিন চৈত্রমাস
Prohor sheshe aaloy ranga

The crimson glow of dusk
Tinged that day of Chaitra*
I saw my ruination in your eyes

In routine rites of life
In daily interactions
In the crisscross of paths
Thousands of people
With their jest and jokes
Amidst all of that
My ruination in your eyes

Mango groves in efflorescence
Blooming trees, fallen blossoms
A familiar fragrance in the breeze
In the budded branches
On the wings of honey bees
Spring breathing in each moment
Amidst all of that
My ruination in your eyes

Chaitra* - last month of the Bengali year that falls in spring

You are the primordial force

প্রথম আদি তব শক্তি
Prothomo aadi tobo shokti

You are the primordial force
The first flare of radiance
The supreme glow in the sky

You are the origin of sound
Flowing through the world
You are the source of bliss
Taking new form and feeling
In many a heart and mind

The sun, moon and stars shine
In the sky of your bosom
Life ripples in the breeze
You are the first and foremost poet
The master of all poets to come
Your chants resound in this world and beyond

My leave has been granted

পেয়েছি ছুটি, বিদায় দেহ ভাই
Peyechhi chhuti

My leave has been granted
Bid me farewell, my friends
I pay my respect to one and all
I return the keys to the door
No more claims have I to make
I seek today your words as grace
I was your neighbour for many days
I received much more than I gave
Night gives way to the dawn
The corner lamp blows out
I hear the summons
And so I move on

We met on the way at the end of day

পথে যেতে তোমার সাথে মিলন হল দিনের শেষে
Pothe jete tomar shaathe

We met on the way at the end of day
When I went to look at you
In a trice, did the twilight fade away
I won’t grieve if I see you or not
Wait for just a moment
Let me cover your feet with my tresses

O Lord, remove all hurdles on the path of love

নাথ হে, প্রেমপথে সব বাধা ভাঙিয়া দাও
Nath hey, prempothe shob badha

O Lord, remove all hurdles on the path of love
Keep no barriers between us
Do not stay away from me
In seclusion and companionship
Within my heart and outside
I wish to see you all the time

Gaze at Her night and day

নিশিদিন চাহো রে তাঁর পানে
Nishidin chaho re

Gaze at Her night and day
Flourishes life in singing Her praise
Sight within Her beautiful face
Partake of Her love and forget all pain

Night and day to my heart, my beloved

নিশিদিন মোর পরানে প্রিয়তম মম
Nishidin mor poraney priyotomo

Night and day to my heart, my beloved
You sent your tidings with such ache
You filled my heart time and again
With love, life and many a song
Staying out of sight

The heart of the deepest night

নিশীথরাতের প্রাণ
Nishitho raater praan

The heart of the deepest night
In the soft glow of moonlight
Partakes of a nectar sweet
Steeped in beatitude
She guards no secrets today
Tearing apart the dark shroud
She gives away all she has
All her doors nudged open by the southern breeze
It is at her behest I roam around the woods
With me are my songs of a wakeful night

Silent is the night entranced by moonlight

নীরব রজনী দেখো মগ্ন জোছনায়
Nirob rojoni dekho magno

Silent is the night entranced by moonlight
Softly, softly, ever so softly sing
The night sings a sleepy lullaby
Let your voice blend in her’s

Charmed by the magic of night
Lulled by the sea of silence
Immersed is the world in sleep
Let no eager impassioned tune
Stir a ripple in tranquil seas

Still, so still is the river
She drifts into sleep
With each caress of the breeze
If by chance in her sleep
Touching the shore with a kiss
She is startled herself with the sound
So I say, softly, softly, ever so softly
Let your voice blend with the night

Why in silence wait outside

নীরবে আছ কেন বাহিরদুয়ারে
Nirobe aachho keno

Why in silence wait outside
Darkness engulfs my eyes
I see you not

I know it is time
You will draw me close
You will set afloat my raft
In the high tide

Let my life find fruition
In this auspicious moment
Let all the stars in the sky burst into song

Illumine the caverns of my heart
With a startling, thrilling flash of light

A venturer on new roads

নূতন পথের পথিক হয়ে
Nuton pother pothik hoye

An old companion comes along
As a venturer on new roads
The night lifts her veil at dawn
In that blessed moment of union
After everlasting estrangement

The one I acquire ever anew
By losing him time and again
If I sight him today at dawn
I will lay down afresh
My heart at his feet

Eyes brim with tears

নয়ান ভাসিল জলে
Noyaan bhashilo jole

Eyes brim with tears
Dense waterladen clouds gather
In empty depths of my heart
Ushered in by propitious winds
The night awakens in ecstasy

Glory be to that mercy
That allays the scorched
That quenches the parched
Awaken in joy, my heart
That awaits the rain
Like the chataka bird
Softly, so softly
Sweetly, so sweetly
Drizzles down love

Blow softly, o restless breeze

ধীরে ধীরে ধীরে বও ওগো উতল হাওয়া
Dheere dheere bau

Blow softly, o restless breeze, blow softly
The flute plays the melody of midnight –
Calm down, do calm down

I am the lamp’s flickering flame
Alone, awake, awaiting you aflutter
Whisper softly into my ear
Tell me your innermost thoughts

Bring to this nook of my home
Your tales from faraway lands
Your woodland serenades

I have something I want to say
To the stars at the break of dawn
Let me secretly share it with you

Your eyes have pleaded with me to sing

তোমার  নয়ন আমায় বারে বারে
Tomaar noyon aamaay baare bare

Your eyes have pleaded with me
Time and again to sing a song
They have sent a hint
In many a flower, many a star
On the brink of night and day
In ashen light and pitch darkness

Why did I not sing, how do I tell
Why am I so perplexed
My words gets lost in pain
My tunes get lost in endless shores

Plying the deep currents
You summoned me from the raft
You called out in storm and tempest
In thunderous claps of mute clouds
You beckoned me towards death
In the restless deluge of monsoon nights

Do you not know why I did not go
I sit at the quay gazing out for you
How do I find a way through the sea 

My day is spent without you

তোমা-হীন কাটে দিবস হে প্রভু
Toma heen kaatey dibosh

My day is spent without you
Without you, my dream and awaking
When will you step into my heart

It is for you O Lord, I stay awake

তোমা লাগি, নাথ, জাগি জাগি হে
Toma laagi naath jaagi

It is for you O Lord, I stay awake
Without you, there is no peace
They all move on without me
You my eternal refuge
You stay beside me
Through joy and sorrow
None else can soothe me
When I am seared with guilt

A treasure which drifts across a sudden breeze

তুমি হঠাৎ-হাওয়ায় ভেসে-আসা ধন
Tumi hothat haway bheshe asha dhon

You are that treasure
Which drifts across a sudden breeze
Thus my heart is startled
With this unexpected gift

When is it that you turn up
On secret trails by yourself
Intoxicating the breeze
With a sudden fragrance

In places teeming with people
Seldom is there a chance
To deeply know another
Many are those who go by
Stirring up a lot of dust

From somewhere off the beaten track
A sudden strain of melody
Beckons the traveller gone astray

I am at a loss for words

বাণী মোর নাহি
Baani mor naahi

I am at a loss for words
Splaying my dazed heart
All I can do is gaze

Adorned in shadow and light
I am the night of new moon
Laying out an infinitude of stars
I hope sans expectations
Gazing at the endless road

When you play the flute
A drift of melody glides
Afloat a bewildered breeze
Across the slumber seas
Into the depths of stillness

I echo back your melody
Who knows if it alights
At the shore of your dreams
Plying the immense darkness

I know these days will go by

জানি গো, দিন যাবে এ দিন যাবে
Jaani go din jaabe

I know these days will go by
One day after the noon is gone
A dusky sun will smile sadly
And look at me for the last time

A flute will be heard by the wayside
Along the riverbank, cows will graze
Kids will play in the courtyard
Birds will burst into song
Yet those days too will go by

Before I go, I have one plea
Let me know why I was summoned
To this verdant earth
Her gaze uplifted to the skies
Why did the silence of the night
Speak to me of the stars
Why did the radiance of the day
Buoy my heart so
I plead with you to let me know

When my time here is up
Let me at the end of my song
Pause at the right note
Let me fill my basket
With the bounties of all the seasons
Let me see you in the glow of this life
Let me give you my garland
When my time here is up

Do summon me tonight

ডাকো মোরে আজি এ নিশীথে
Daako morey aaji e nishithey

Do summon me tonight
When the world is asleep
Come into my heart
And call me in silence
Summon me to your bliss
Light your lamp
In the darkness within
Call me over and over again
Summon my unsconscious spirit

Why does sleep evade your eyes

ঘুম কেন নেই তোরই চোখে
Ghum keno nei tori chokhe

Who keeps you awake so
Why does sleep evade your eyes
You stare with an absent gaze
There in a distant corner of the sky
Night peers with eyes tinged red
In the radiant light of dawn

Why have you culled today
Many a crimson lotus
What gives you courage
To unbolt your door so
Who do you call with folded hands
And let cataclysm into your home

So deep a night deluged with rain

গহন রাতে শ্রাবণধারা পড়িছে ঝরে
Gohono raatey srabonodhara porichhey jhore

So deep a night deluged with rain
Why wake her up for no reason
A trace of her tears can still be seen
Her lips still hold the words unsaid

So be it if you strum a few notes
If your lute reveals your heart
At the portal of her sleep
So be it if you lay a blossom
Quietly on her undone tresses
String flowers around her wrist
Why wake her up for no reason

A deep dense night descends into my heart

গভীর রজনী নামিল হৃদয়ে
gobhir rojoni namilo hridoye

A deep night descends into my heart
Fades all flurry and furore
Now and then I hear
The murmur of distant seas

All desires flood back into my heart
The darkness grows thicker outside
A solitary lamp flickers
In the farthest nook of my heart

Infinite grace has led me to beauty
The game reaches it’s conclusion
Restless ripples of lively waves
Subside into the depths of the sea

Peace there is in a soundless chant
That echoes quietly in my heart
I close my eyes and see within
The beauty that is beyond all forms

The din and bustle is shut off

কোলাহল তো বারণ হল
Kolahol to baaron holo

The din and bustle is shut off
Whispered now will be the words
Hearts will know each other
With only music and lyric

People are afoot on the royal carriageway
The marketplace alive with trade
My respite comes at an untimely hour
In the middle of a day
I am called away from work
Who knows why

Let the flowers in my garden
Come untimely then into bloom
Let the bees buzz sweetly
In the middle of the day

Many a day has gone by
In dilemmas of right and wrong
My heart is now drawn towards
My playmate of this leisure hour
A call to take time off from work
Who knows why

Dark gray clouds huddle up

কালো মেঘের ঘটা ঘনায় রে
Kaalo megher ghota ghonaay re

Dark gray clouds huddle up
In a darkening sky
Drops of rain drizzle down
In deep dense forests

Breaking free at last
Blooms your blossom
In this downpour

O do arise, awake
Do not lose this hour

In which tearladen wind
In which earthy fragrance
Does his ache glide across
Can he still stay concealed

How enchanting you are

কত যে তুমি মনোহর মনই তাহা জানে
koto je tumi manohar

How enchanting you are
How you steal my heart
It is only my heart that knows
It trembles and throbs
In the melody of your song

Today in this dawn
The sun plays with the clouds
My eyes brim over as I gaze at you

Fidgety flickers of light
Ripple across the river
Peals of lilting laughter
Race across the forest leaves

What do I see in the sky
Is it the gaze of your eye
A deluge of divine sweetness
Drizzles down the blue above
Drizzles down into my heart

O my Oarsman

ওরে মাঝি, ওরে আমার মানবজন্মতরীর মাঝি
orey majhi

O my Oarsman
You who row the raft of my mortal being
Do you hear the flute that plays
Afar somewhere on the shore

Will your raft find a pier
At the end of day
Will I sight a row of lamps
In the darkness of dusk

In this achingly sweet breeze
My heart feels as if
A laughter from across the shore
Comes creeping along the darkness

I brought along a few flowers
That I plucked before I came
With the ones that are still fresh
Fashion a bouquet at the soonest

The boat has been unmoored

ওই রে তরী দিল খুলে
oi je tori dilo khule

The boat has been unmoored
Who will carry your load
When you go forward
Let the past stay behind
To carry it on your back
Would keep you behind all alone
You’ve dragged your burdens one by one
From your home to the shore
You kept going back time and again
For each thing you forgot
Call out to the oarsman, call out
Let your burdens drift away
Shake off all you have
And offer your life at his feet

Who wants to go to the other shore

ওগো, তোরা কে যাবি পারে
ogo tora ke jaabi pare

Who wants to go to the other shore
I sit at the riverbank ready with my boat
In the gardens on the other side
So many people, so much frolic
On this side a dreary desert
Thirsting for a drop of rain

The day has not gone by yet
Come, those who wish to go
Why waste time in deliberation
The sun will soon go down
This fortuitous wind will let up
The pier will close down in the gathering dusk

How could he forget all the love and hope

ওগো এত প্রেম-আশা
ogo ato prem asha

How could he forget all the love and hope
The deepest yearning of the heart
Doesn’t the moon there smile at night
Doesn’t the flute there play it’s tune

Here the breeze plunders the gardens
Doesn’t the wind there blow at all
It speaks of him to me ever so often
Doesn’t it ever speak to him of me

If he is to forget me today, my friend
Why did his love make me forget myself
To make me weep all my life
Is that what he wanted!

Many a pleasant night we spent on a carpet of flowers
Gazing into each other’s eyes
Did he know then that this pang of separation
Would be my friend for life

If he does not remember me
If he finds a life of peace
Do go and see him, my friends
This thirst of my eyes
This hope of my heart
Do offer at his feet
And take with you a part of my pain
How do I hide it anymore
And bring with you if you can steal
One teardrop of his

No, no, my friend
If he can forget all this love
Don’t entreat him anymore
I won’t say a word
I will bear my woe
Quietly in my heart
All of this is in vain, my friend
In vain is this love
In vain is this yearning
The days of bliss are gone
Never to return again

I hear as if his footsteps

ওই শুনি যেন চরণধ্বনি রে
Oi shuni jeno choronodhwoni re

I hear as if his footsteps
I hear it lost in myself
Is it my beloved
Coming in stealth to steal my heart

What are these hints I get
That make my tears well up
The fragrance of a garland
I know from my dreams

Spring waits for him along his path
A bouquet of flowers in her arms
Conch shells resound in the skies
Hope wafts across the azure

Say those words again my love

ওই কথা বলো সখী
Oi kotha bolo shokhi

Say those words my love, once again
Say you love me again and again
I have heard it many a time
Yet I want to hear them again
Say you love me again and again

Wake up, do wake up

ওঠো ওঠো রে-- বিফলে প্রভাত বহে যায় যে
otho otho re, biphole probhat bohe jaay je

Wake up, do wake up
The morn goes by in vain
Open your eyes, awaken, arise
Stay unconscious no more

Each one rushes to be of service
The morn breeze awakens
The sun jogs across the sky
As if the Lord calls them one by one
Bloom the forest flowers one by one

Listen to that call
Gaze up at that face
Seeking His blessings
Let us all embark upon His work

O listen! Who plays the flute

ওগো শোনো কে বাজায়
Ogo shono ke bajay

O listen! Who plays the flute
The fragrance of wild flowers fused in it’s melody
Touching his lips, the flute captures his smile
My sweetheart’s smile drifts across to me
Seizing my heart with so sweet a song

The buzz of bees in the bowers echo in it’s tune
So eager the Bakul buds bloom to it’s song

The lapping of the Yamuna reaches my ear
My heart cries out with longing
Who does the moon gaze at with a smile

Who goes by playing a flute

ওগো কে যায় বাঁশরি বাজায়ে
ogo ke jaay bashori bajaye

Who goes by playing a flute
Passing by my door
I sit alone, lonesome
Evoked into thoughts
Of the one I yearn for

The flute gives voice to
His impassioned heart
His song of separation
How do I voice my feelings
My heart cries out in despair

I could not wreath the flowers
They wither and fall to the dust
Night gives way to the dawn
The moon hides its lacklustre face

Who do I worship through the night
Offering the springtime of my life
He carries off my heart
With the melody of his flute
Why do I remain behind

Who jolts me out of ease

আরাম-ভাঙা উদাস সুরে
aram bhanga udaash shurey

Who jolts me out of ease
With such a distracting tune
Who fills the empty heart of my flute
With such an ache today

The anxious flute beckons
The restless, the homeless
It sends its summons
In wakefulness and dreams
It draws out from the near
To sweep away to the far

It stirs which hidden recess of my heart
It makes me weep in secret at eventide
Even today…
My heart knows his name not
Not even what he looks like
Only in shadows and silhouettes
Does he flit around in my dreams

She takes limits lightly

ও যে মানে না মানা
o je mane na mana

She takes limits lightly
If I avert my gaze “No, no, no” she says
The more I urge “the night ends, the lamp dims”
She looks at my face saying “No, no, no”

Bewildered and overwhelmed with the crazed winds
Spring runs amok in forests bursting with flowers

The more I urge “Now I should go”
She stands at the door saying “No, no, no”

Do silence your verbose poet now

এবার নীরব করে দাও হে তোমার মুখর কবিরে
ebar nirob kore dao

Do silence your verbose poet now
Seize the flute that his heart is
Play yourself it’s deepest strains

Let your flute ring out
In the rich silence of the night
In a melody that enthralls
The skies and beyond

All that lies strewn across
My being and death
Draw them all to your feet
With the magic of your song

The heaps and piles of words
Will be swept away in a trice
I will sit alone and hear your flute
In a darkness that knows no bounds

Till now my eyes have seen him not

এখনো তারে চোখে দেখি নি
akhono taarey chokhey dekhini

Till now my eyes have seen him not
Till now I have just heard his flute
My heart and soul, whatever I had
I have surrendered unto him

I have heard of his dark appearance
That I should refrain from seeing him
Tell me friend if I should still
Venture out to the Yamuna

He came only in my dreams
A smile touched the corner of his eyes
Since then do I tingle in fear
I fear to look up and see

They walk around the forest as they please
They gaze at the Kadam tree as they please
Tell me friend if I should still
Look up and gaze at someone

Amidst this to and fro

আসা-যাওয়ার মাঝখানে
asha jawar majhkhane

Amidst this to and fro
For whom do you wait
Alone, gazing at the road

In the monsoon clouds
In ebony rimmed with gold
Who knows what is this game
Of shadow and light
Amidst this to and fro

Withered leaves flutter to the earth
Fresh leaves drape the boughs
Amidst that you lose yourself
What songs so tearladen
Stream around you
Amidst this to and fro

Nothing seems to allay

আজ কিছুতেই যায় না মনের ভার
aaj kichhutei jaayna moner bhaar

Nothing seems to allay today
The heaviness in my heart
Clouds loom across the sky
Shrouding the day in darkness

My heart said he would come
Maybe he could not find me
Unspoken his words
Wrench a wail out of me

Now and then in tearladen winds
The skies cry out for him
A deep sigh of this cloudy day
Tells me he will not return
He left with a heavy heart
Because this tryst was never to be

Do tell me what troubles your heart

তোমার মনের একটি কথা আমায় বলো বলো
tomar moner ekti kotha amay bolo bolo

Do tell me what troubles your heart
Do tell me why your eyes brim over

The pitter patter of raindrops in the forests,
the chirp of crickets beneath the Kadamba trees,
the gurgle of rivulets through vistas of Sal trees
resonate through this evening

The horizons vanish
The azure evanesces in the drizzling downpour
Shadows flit across your face
Shadows cloud around your mind
Your heart heaves with the torpid tearladen winds

None here speaks of you

তোমার কথা হেথা কেহ তো বলে না
tomar kotha hetha keho to bolena

None here speaks of you
In vain they create a commotion
They sit beside a sea of nectar
And yet sip only poison

They have ripped their own roots
They know not how to swim
They cannot find a shore
They drift down the stream
Maybe to drown in the end
They flounder and fumble on
Through night and day

Where do I go
Whom do I ask
They pull and drag me along
I fear I’ll be left alone in the end
Amid fathomless seas
I search for a friend, a well-wisher
My eyes moisten with tears
My own load bears me down
My heart trembles in weakness

I love you night and day

আমি নিশিদিন তোমায় ভালোবাসি
aami nishidin tomaay bhalobashi

I love you night and day
Do so at your leisure
I sit here night and day
Do come when you remember
I stay awake through the night
Enduring the ache of separation
Do come in the morn
Even if for a moment
Grace me with your smile

Do walk the way you  please
Through sweetly wafting winds
Through everlasting blooms
Buoyant on the waves of your own joys
If I happen to come by
I too will float along
If I fall behind, no harm in that
Efface my memories from your thoughts

I’ve come to see you today

আজ তোমারে দেখতে এলেম অনেক দিনের পরে
aaj tomaarey dekhte elem

I’ve come to see you today
After a long time
Fear not, be at ease
I won’t linger too long
I’ve come for only a few moments
Only to gaze at your face
And listen to you
If you have something to say
Or only just to see your smile
From behind a screen if need be
Before I go on to lands far away

How far is it, the abode of joy

আর কত দূরে আছে সে আনন্দধাম
aaro koto doorey aachhey

How far is it, the abode of joy
I am weary
I am blinded
I do not know the way

The sun dips below the horizon
Darkness enshrouds the earth
Have mercy on this helpless one
O mother of this universe

I drift from one road to the other
Driven by unfulfilled desire
In vain is this game
In vain is this show
In vain does time pass by

Today in this eventide breeze
Do lead me to the abode of peace
Bestow upon me everlasting peace
With the soothing caress of your love

You’ve given so much O Lord

অনেক দিয়েছ নাথ
Awnek diyechho naath

You’ve given so much
O Lord you’ve given so much
And yet is my desire not fulfilled
My penury not dispelled
My tears not effaced
My deepest thirst not slaked

You’ve given me life and consciousness
My heart’s treasure - my family and friends
The soothing caress of the breeze
The blue canopy of the skies
The verdant beauty of the earth

If so much have you given
You have to give some more
If you I do not get
I will not go back

I am so impoverished

আমি দীন, অতি দীন
aami deen oti deen

I am so impoverished
How do I repay Lord
The debt of your kindness

Your affection in endless streams
Deluges this world
It showers night and day
Soothing my scorched heart

I will surrender all of my heart
I will give you back your own love
I will live to do what you ask of me
I offer my life at your feet

You brought me to tears

কাঁদালে তুমি মোরে ভালোবাসারই ঘায়ে
kandale tumi more bhalobashari ghaye
(audio)

You brought me to tears
The torment of your love
A deep sweet agony
Tingles down my body

I will walk to distant shores
For a tryst with you, my love
Let pain prick at my feet
As I walk the endless roads

My heart wails like a flute
My eyes stream with tears
This sweet melancholy
Leaves me bewildered

You plunder my all
And yet keep me bound
I cannot tear my heart away
Such is my quandary

O my ever unknown stranger

ওগো আমার চির-অচেনা পরদেশী
ogo amar chiro awchena pawrodeshi

O my ever unknown stranger
To which summons did you come
Out for a moment from your solitary arbour

I didn’t fathom what you said
But it’s strain lingers on
Like the melody of a flute

I sat alone in the morn
And wreathed a garland
It lay on the ground
Beneath the Ashok trees
When I came back at the end of day
I could not find it anymore
Even you had by then gone away
The hours went by
I could not sight you again

Do stay a little longer

আরো একটু বসো তুমি
aaro ektu bosho tumi

Do stay a little longer
Do tell a little more

O traveller
Why this restlessness
A moistness in your eyes

Did you get a hint of what you wished to hear from me
The silent swell of words billowing in my heart

When you are far away
The secrets deep within
Resonate in sweet melody
When you come close
Your eyes hush all words
They shine like the stars
In the still night of my heart

A few more minutes, do sit by me

আরো কিছুখন নাহয় বসিয়ো পাশে
aaro kichhukhon nahoy boshiyo paashey

A few more minutes, do sit by me
A few more words, do speak to me

See how the autumn sky darkens
Vaporous airs mist the horizon

You came to my door in the morn
Wanting to see something
Let me ask while there is still light
Were you able to catch a glimpse of that
O traveller, say do say –
That which rolls to and fro
In the fathomless depths of my heart

You wavered at the door
Held yourself back today
You tinkered with your tunes
Out in the courtyard
I know not what you can take
Take back with you to the distant lands
O traveller, at this hour of parting ways

When you came at the break of dawn
Leaving behind all your chores
The soulful voice you came to hear
Did you catch a hint of it
O traveller, say do say –
Those words they are ablaze
In the secret depths of my heart

My heart is athirst

চিত্ত পিপাসিত রে গীতাসুধার তরে
chitto pipashito re
(audio)

My heart is athirst
For the sweetness of a song

Like a withered vine
That thirsts for a drop of rain
My heart sprawls in the dust
Aggrieved and athirst
For the sweetness of a song

Today on a spring night
Today with an eternal thirst
Today my wakeful heart
Is like a bird that gazes at the moon
Yearning to soak in the light
Athirst for the sweetness of a song

The wakeful moon
In a sky bereft of sleep
Watches the quiescent world
My body and soul cry out
In a listless tone
Athirst for the sweetness of a song

One to whom you give your flag

তোমার পতাকা যারে দাও
tomar potaka jaare dao

One to whom you give your flag
Give her the strength to bear it
To suffer great sorrows in your service
Give her the faith to bear it

I wish with all my heart
To end sorrow with sorrow
I do not wish to evade
The pain that you bestow
Woe will be a laurel for me
If you grant with it my faith

Give me work if you so wish
As long as you let me
Forget you not
Let me not get entangled
In a web of wanton waste

Ensnare me in as many bonds
Keep me free to be with you
Keep me in the dust if you so wish
Make me pure with the dust of your feet
Be that I get lost in worldly affairs
Let me not forget and lose you
I’ll take any road you choose for me
Allow me to reach your feet
Let all my effort take me
To the one who ends all fatigue

An uphill road is this world
Many a sacrifice, many a woe,
Many a pang of separation
Bearing many a death through this life
May I get a new life in death
Let me find at eventide
A refuge at your feet

If you rescue me O Lord

যদি আমায় তুমি বাঁচাও
jodi amay tumi banchao

If you rescue me O Lord
Then blessed will be your world
If you wash off with your purity
The grime and soot in my heart
Arouse will anew your sun and moon
In a grand festival of light
My blooms have yet to flower
That very sadness fills the world
If dispelled is the darkness of night
And awakened is my heart
Then radiant will be the sky
With the ring of joyous melody

Lash at me yet more

আরো আরো প্রভু, আরো আরো
Aaro aaro probhu aaro aaro

Yet more O Lord, yet more
Lash at me yet more
I hide and try to flee
Now that I am caught
How do I evade thee?

Take away, do take away
All that I have
Do what you want to do
Let your will takes its course
Be it that I lose or you

I mill about here and there
Hours lost in fun and banter
Let me see how you can make me weep

You come in the garb of woe

দুখের বেশে এসেছ ব'লে
Dukkher beshe eshechho bole

I will fear you not
Though you appear in the garb of woe
I will hold you close where it hurts

If you veil your face in darkness
I will know you still
If you come in the garb of death
I will die clasping your feet

Whatever be the form
In which you show yourself
I will fear you not

My eyes are awash in tears today
The tears let them overflow
My heart rings out with pain
In your fierce embrace

It is you who grips my heart
Let my pain tell me so
I will not wish for anything
I will not say anything
I will merely gaze at you

Be simple, be natural

সহজ হবি, সহজ হবি
Shohoj hobi

Be simple, be natural
O my heart, be simple
Keep your distance from
  that which adds distance
    to what was near
Why stretch out your palms
It is not the gift we need
It is the giver we seek
When you give with ease
You acquire too with ease
Be simple, be natural
O my heart, be simple
Emerge O poet from the task
Of composing your own words
Away from all words, beats the heart of the world
Where the morning sun gazes at the silent flower

Flame of fire, we are akin

ওরে, আগুন আমার ভাই
Ore agun amar bhai (audio: Suchitra Mitra)

Flame of fire -- we are akin,
I exalt you with a song
Nothing is as free, as flushed, to me
As your fiery form

Your raise your ecstatic arms
In a divine, happy dance
And when I die and my fetters bust
You will singe my bonds

Your body and mine will sway in glee
Your flare will burn my impetuosity
And as every twinge is turned to ash
My woes will vanish with your raging flash.

How does one suffer this estrangement

এ পরবাসে রবে কে হায়!

E porobashe robe ke haay (audio: Kanika Bandyopadhyay)

How does one suffer this estrangement

Like a nomad at large

The conflict of heart and body

Left in quandary?

In these alien latitudes
I have no one, no home or harbor.

Exposed alone
To my ache, vulnerability

(Another version by Rumela)

Who can stay in this alien land
Who can cope with doubt and despair
Who will hold me in grief and fear
Who will carry me through crisis
No such one I can call my own
In this vast wilderness

Do you surrender to juvenescence?

এবার তো যৌবনের কাছে
Ebar to jouboner kachhe menechho haar (audio)

'Do you finally surrender to juvenescence!
'We do'
'Feel the vigorous crispness of Being?'
'That too'

'Remember how you were fazed by figments --
Have you unearthed your true presence?'
'Assuredly'

'So now do you bow to life supreme?
See death as the chalice of immortality?'
'We so do!'

'There is a demon, a fog, fighting
To mask from you
Your divine kingdom.
Did you vanquish it?'
'We did too'