You haven't fathomed me

তুমি মোর পাও নাই পরিচয়
Tumi mor pao nai porichoy

You haven't fathomed me.
The soul you seem to know,
Is a mere picture, a fleeting shadow.
You have laced her with your wreathe
But the buds gradually  dwindle.
This is an image
That the sunshine is afraid to touch,
That the drift can not caress.

Let sorrow approach you with luminance
Let it offer it's blazing blessings.

Let death crouch in softly
And majestically reveal all.
Ending all defeat.

Do adorn me with flowers

দে লো, সখী, দে পরাইয়ে গলে
de lo shokhi de poraiye gole

Do adorn me with flowers, my friend 
A garland of my much loved Bakul
Pluck the yet to bloom buds of Juhi
Twine them together and bedeck me
Tresses full of blossoms.
Tie back the restless locks
That brush my cheeks time and again

In.. the dark hollows.. of my heart..

ছিল যে পরানের অন্ধকারে
chilo je poraner ondhokare 

In.. the dark hollows.. of my heart..
I held a hidden soul..
Revealed.. now to my eyes..
Through a shaft of sunshine..

Once fettered.. by my dreams..
He has splintered his shell..
And surged out.. in the open..
And how.. I behold him..
With my.. unbelieving gaze..

I had once welded my tears..
Into a string.. of aching desires..
Restraining him by my hurt..

Yet.. though I treasured him..
Guarded him with solitude..
A tearful silence.. I realize..
Through eternity.. he is the breath..
The passion.. the world.. lauds and loves..

What an unearthly splendour

এ কী সুধারস আনে
E ki shudharosh ane/ E kee shudharosho aane (Audio by Hemanta Mukherjee)

What an unearthly splendor
Ravishes my heart and soul!

He has always belonged with me
But I now behold him
With open eyes, rejuvenation.
The breeze encircles his face with love,
And breaks into a hum.

My stagnant lute regains her breath
As I play my old, forgotten missives 
Once again.

Feeling his love, as it seeps
Into the blue sky, the verdant earth,
Delving in them,
Is like listening to a fresh score of music
With an open mind, a beginner's heart.

You aren't close by

তুমি কাছে নাই ব’লে
tumi kaachhe naai bole

You aren't close by, my Friend
So they shout “I am great”, “I am great”
You stay beyond sight and reach
You who are the greatest of all
So they all proclaim their own greatness

Lord, do come once
Show your smiling face
Let them turn red with shame
They who try to distract me
They who try to screen you out
Let them turn red with shame

Where is your beloved face?
The smile that lights up the world
Distract me away from this world
Keep me riveted to you
Distract me with your love
With your pleasing form

The “I” in me puffs with pride
Crush, smash, trash its egoism
Smash this ego into smithereens
Crush this pride beneath your feet

Sing a song, clear and loud

 গানে গানে তব বন্ধন যাক টুটে (লিঙ্ক এখানে)
Gaane gaane tobo bondhono jak tute (audio link here)

a translation with English rendition by Anandamayee -- link here:

Sing a song clear and loud,
let your fetters free.
Aching muteness in the dark
crying to speak out.

A cosmic muse plays out her verse
in her heart through the universe.
Let life and song synchronize
pray and bow down.

Shattered rhythms let you down
what a disharmony.
Your heart and world do not blend
make a cacophony.

Discordant heart, what a limitation,
It's the haze, it's the maze.
Reclaim your song, unconscious heart,
end the aggravation.

Who shall free Beauty

সুন্দরের বন্ধন নিষ্ঠুরের হাতে
Shundorero bondhon

Who shall free Beauty,
Fettered at the hands of the heartless?
Who shall wipe the hapless tears
Of the crushed?
The earth aches with
The cries of the fearful,
Nailed, harrowed,
By venomous spears of injustice.
Who shall safeguard the weak
From the plague of the powerful?
Who has the tenderness to embrace
The smothered soul?

As it has always been

জীবন আমার চলছে যেমন তেমনি ভাবে
Jeebon amar cholchhe jemon (audio)

My life will be as it has always been
Demanding, or gliding free,
Dancing it's feet to uneven beats.

Here, I shall meet with fellow men
Whom I shall yearn to hold and hug,
As much as they will ache for me.

Out and on my life will flow
Tracing time with its skipping toes
Tinged by the glaze of gloom and glee.

And on my way, that special Soul
Who engages all in this splashy fest,
I shall yearn to hug Him close
As much as He will ache for me


-1914

O Lord of Life, O Unattainable

ওহে জীবনবল্লভ, ওহে সাধনদুর্লভ
ohe jibonbollobh

O Lord of Life, O Unattainable
I will not speak of my pain, my innermost angst
I will just yield my heart, my life at your feet
I leave all to your reckoning
What more can I say?

The way through life is full of thorns
Danger abounds in worldly affairs
I will walk in wordless silence
Holding your image in my heart
What more can I say?

I will not take to heart the joys and woes
I will make little of my likes and dislikes
I will embrace whatever you deign to give
What more can I say?

If I have erred along the way
If you choose not to forgive
Then O beloved of my heart
Inflict on me pain upon pain
Yet do not cast me away
Draw me to your feet at the end of day
Who else do I have in this world?
In my death-darkened existence
What more can I say?

Who knew you would summon me

কে জানিত তুমি ডাকিবে আমারে
ke janito tumi dakibe amare

Who knew you would summon me
I was wrapped in slumber
Worldly affairs in a phantasmic haze
Encircled me evermore

Who knew I would have such good fortune
That you would inflict pain yourself
That you would flood me in tears

I knew not when the sun of compassion rose
And lit up the sky of my heart with its rays

When did your sea of sweetness tide over?
Flooding forth and breaking all barricades
That constricted me within and outside

You herald a whiff of fresh air
You plant the seed of new hope
I'll moor the raft of my life at your feet

We shall surrender to Truth

মোরা সত্যের ’পরে মন 
Mora shottero pore mon / Mora shotyero pore mon (audio)

We shall surrender to authenticity,
Here is to Truth
We shall taste, feel  and touch 
Cherish, crave and worship
Unravel and seek it out,
Eternally, ever more
Here is to Truth

If parched with grief
We shall not fall for falsehood
If cursed with hardship
We shall not turn to deceit
If sorely punished
We shall not give in to lies
Eternally, ever more
Here is to Truth

We shall surrender to the wholesome
Here is to goodness
We shall host and be housed by health
Resonating to tunes that are hearty
Here is to goodness

If parched with grief
We shall not be tempted by sin
If cursed with hardship
We shall not turn to greed
If sorely punished,
We shall not give in to spite
Eternally, ever more
Here is to goodness

We shall voice a fearless name:
The Brahma, omen of all fear
Come what may, we shall not regret
We shall be grounded in His heart
Eternally, ever more
Here is to the Brahma

If parched with grief
We shall outlive fear
If cursed with hardship
We shall outlive fear
If sorely punished,
We shall outlive fear
Eternally, ever more
Here is to the Brahma

We shall surrender to bliss
Here is to the Blissful
Every picture, the sheer cosmos
Is embraced with bliss,
Here is to the Blissful

Bliss breathes in every soul,
Bliss seeps into every action
Bliss happens at every moment,
Be it in agony, peril and pain
Bliss lives on at every cycle,
Be it in death, longing or grief
Eternally, ever more
Here is to the Blissful

Crush the floodgates

ভাঙো বাঁধ ভেঙে দাও 
Bandh bhenge daao (audio)

Crush the floodgates,
Let your suppressed soul fly,
Fly away, lost to the far

Let the parched bay flood
With life, rebellious and buoyant
Sing your tribute aloud,
Hum the applaud of wreckage 

Let the old and withered quit,
Flushed away with the tide

We hear the loud and clear voice
In our hearts that sings, 'Do not fear!'
It is the soul of endless youth

We are not afraid of the new
Even as the gates are sealed,
Let us fiercely proceed to free our entree

I put my heart to worldly matters

আমি সংসারে মন দিয়েছিনু
ami shongshare mon diyechhinu

I put my heart to worldly matters
You took away my heart yourself
In asking for joy I sought woe
You called it woe but gave me joy
It is your mercy that you gave me woe

The heart that scattered itself in a thousand places
Striving after a thousand selfish aims
You gathered it all up and bound it with devotion
You gathered it from a thousand places
You gathered it up from the dirt

You made me roam from pillar to post
In search of happiness
Now you make me understand
How very much you are my very own
You make me understand
You came into my heart to make me understand
Who you are to me, you make me understand

You compassion leads whom down which path to where
All at once I opened my eyes and saw you’d brought me to your door
I knew not, down which path you brought me, I knew not

Where do you hunt for the grand finale

কোথায় ফিরিস পরম শেষের অন্বেষণে
Kothay phirish porom shesher onneshone (audio: Suchitra Mitra)

Where do you hunt for the grand finale,
Sheer fulfillment?
It abounds the earth
In the tiny message of a baby's arms
Reaching out at your heart,
In babbles of that first speech,
In the blossoming arbor.

Where do you look for people
Near to your heart ?
They belong outside all gates,
Their home reaches beyond every wall,
Their luminance shines upon each trail,
Their aura is masked 
In the many faces of the multitude

Do bestow life unto me

আমারে করো জীবনদান
amare koro jibonodaan
(audio)

Do bestow life unto me
Instill in my heart your own bidding

So much has come, so much has gone
Tons I get tons I lose
Let my heart be stoic at your feet

Let me embrace propitious penance
Let my selfish interests be swept far away
Put an end to my futile quest
Awaken true knowledge in my heart

In loss and gain
In pleasure and pain
In light and darkness
Let me be fearless
Let me be steady
Let my heart accept your will

A tranquil evening alights

আইল শান্ত সন্ধ্যা
aailo shanto sandhya

A tranquil evening alights
The weary sun has set
I bow to you, loving mother
I bow to you, benefactor of restful slumber
I bow to the profound peace that remains ever wakeful and vigilant

In the vastness of the universe

মহাবিশ্বে মহাকাশে মহাকাল-মাঝে
mohabishwe mohakaashe

In the vastness of the universe
In the vastness of the skies
In the vastness of time
Why do I, a solitary mortal
Roam around in bewildered wonder

O Lord of the universe
You remain veiled in fathomless mystery
In the silent solitude of your august abode

Transcending all space and time
In each one of the countless universes
You gaze down at me and I look up to you

All tumult is stunned into silence
All of creation is immersed in peace
You are the One
In you I am alone
Fearless I am in You

In the vastness of the universe

মহাবিশ্বে মহাকাশে মহাকালমাঝে
mohabishwe mohakaashe

In the vastness of the universe
In the vastness of the skies
In the vastness of time
Why do I, a solitary mortal
Roam around in bewildered wonder

O Lord of the universe
O Master of melody
You remain veiled in fathomless mystery
In the silent solitude of your abode

I look up to you
Your steadfast eyes look down at me evermore

You who are the deep blue boundless ocean

হে অনাদি অসীম সুনীল অকূল সিন্ধু
hey onadi osheem sunil okul sindhu

You who are the deep blue boundless ocean
That has no beginning
That has no end
I am but a mere teardrop
Swallow me into your cool depths
And then will there be a profound peace
And then just oblivion and forgiveness
Then I will ask no more
When will it be the dark night of new moon
When will the sky light up with the full moon

I will seat you today on the royal throne

আজি রাজ-আসনে তোমারে বসাইব
aaji raj-ashone tomare boshaibo

I will seat you today on the royal throne in my heart
I will offer all my desires at your feet to anoint you as my King
O King of this world, I will keep you within me
As your devotee I can afford that pride
All of creation can roam outside
You will roam within my heart

O my heart, open your eyes and behold Him

হে মন, তাঁরে দেখো আঁখি খুলিয়ে
hey mon, taare dekho aankhi khuliye

O my heart, open your eyes and behold Him
He who ever remains within
Make Him your Lord, leaving everyone
Cede your body, mind, youth and riches to Him

Now I understand my friend

এবার বুঝেছি সখা
ebar bujhechhi shokha

Now I understand my friend
This play is just that, mere play
A sheer neglect of mortal life

Subside won’t lamentations
Till You don’t arrive
How will you pacify yourself?
How will you pass the hour?

Smile in vain the sun and moon
Come in vain the night and day
All at once cries out the heart
Perceiving a void in all directions

I came to look for You
But what am I left with
For what do I wander around
In this vast and great assemblage

Dark is the night overcast with illusions

ঘোরা রজনী, এ মোহঘনঘটা
ghora rojoni

Dark is the night
Overcast with illusions
Where O where is my home!

I sit on the road
Playing all day
The game ends
My heart begs to go home

I’ll tell you no more of my woes

দুখের কথা তোমায় বলিব না
dukher kotha tomay bolibo na

I’ll tell you no more of my woes
Blessed by your touch, I’ve forgotten all pain
I live in joyous content with what you have given

This pleasant world is an abode of happiness
That I am here is a sign of your affection
Your sun and moon emanate a sweet radiance
Each new dawn brings new smiles to the gardens
Each night shines in the glow of
   the planets and stars in your assembly

A mother’s love and the fond favour of friends
Shower sweet nectar in a thousand streaks
The sweetness of this world made sweeter by love
Fills me with the bliss of divine nectar

Puny we are, yet we know not death
In you we have a refuge of fearlessness
Diminishes all sorrow at the sight of your feet

May love keep expanding each day
May the spirit’s thirst be quenched each day
May I be infused with new life
May I be stirred with new hope
In each year ever anew

I sit at the door O Lord

দুয়ারে বসে আছি
duarey boshe aachhi

I sit at the door O Lord throughout the day
Tears roll down unabated

Nothing in this world satiates my heart
I wander from door to door
Carrying my heart’s desire in my heart

Leaving all, I have come here
Pray, do not turn away from this wretched soul
Whatever you do, I will stay put

An endless stream.. of messages..

কোন্‌ সুদূর হতে আমার মনোমাঝে..
(kon sudur hote..)

An endless stream.. of messages..
Flow.. into.. my heart..
From afar..
words..I occasionally hear..
and.. sometimes fail to..
words secretly.. spoken..
with hushed eloquence..

Ballads that blissfully buzz..
Through my bustle and sleep..
Through tears..
Submerged in a well.. of songs..
Concealed.. in my subterranean.. layers..

Ballads.. that emerge.. and sink..
Skirting untouched shadowy.. coasts..
Of lonely, deep.. seas.. within..

Ballads.. that peak.. and fall..
Like lapping waves..
Woven.. with magical southern drifts..
Matchmakers.. of earth.. and stars..
Crafting my paradise.. on the soil..

Pleasure.. molds with the deepest.. pain..
And teardrops.. whisper..
'This is not what I desire..
Oh no.. this isn't my dream!'..

Submerged who is in His love

তাঁহার প্রেমে কে ডুবে আছে
tahar preme ke dube aachhe

Submerged who is in His love
Yearns not for trifling joys, riches and honour
Feels no pain of separation nor pangs of grief
Never does that love wane

With countless lamps in hand

হাতে লয়ে দীপ অগণন
haatey loye deep

With countless lamps in hand
Whose royal throne is it?
That creation circumambulates

Millions of people all around
With their joys, woes and grief
Gaze upon His feet evermore

The sun keeps telling Him
“Look upon me once,
I’ll flood the earth with light”

The moon sings to Him
“Look upon me with a smile, O Lord,
I’ll spread the sweetness of the full moon night”

The cloud sings at His feet
“Bestow Your kindness, O Lord,
I’ll give shade and showers of rain”

Spring sings in each moment
“Give me Your assurance,
I’ll fill the bare branches with fruit and flower”

Men and women say with folded hands
“Deluge our hearts with Your love,
We’ll spread affection throughout the world”

“Fulfil, O fulfil our longings”
Relentlessly to whom calls out
The wordless voice of this world

If this is all you will ever fulfill

নাহয় তোমার যা হয়েছে তাই হল
Nahoy tomar ja hoyechhe tai holo (audio: Suchitra Mitra)

If this is all you will ever fulfill,
If nothing more happens
So let it be
The little things nobody
Can ever deny
Will still be yours to treasure.
Let the path be yours,
Let the journey flow on

Travel square on your trail
Resonate to an instant music
Do not peer hungrily on either side
Let the past slip from the clutches 
Of unforgiving memory, 
Gather gifts that the future lavishes,
Why should regret dilute whatever happens?

Time tinkles its cymbals

দুই হাতে কালের মন্দিরা যে সদাই বাজে
Dui haate kaaler mondira (audio)

Time tinkles its cymbals
To the heartbeat of an eternal music
And so the wave dissolves all stupor
Waking up a whirl of dance within

It knells out from discord
Lilting from buds and thorns
Quivering in the sun and in shade
Heaving in tide and in ebb
Pounding in the heart, and in life
With each smile, every tear, every anguish

The same quake keeps the sea of images
Alive and dancing, from dawn to dusk.
Inspired by the never-ending combat
Of black and white, contrasting
Measures rise, break and transform
Into a rainbow of tones.

Learn this melody by heart
And resonate,
Resonate with your smiles and hurt
Listen to life and death call out to you
Together, in voices of the thunder-drum