Knowingly, I remain oblivious

আমি জেনে শুনে তবু ভুলে আছি
ami jene shune tobu bhule aachhi

Knowingly, I remain oblivious
My day goes by in vain
I long to take your path
But face many a roadblock
The immortal path where shines your light
On that path of fearlessness

They surround me on all sides
Entangling me in many bondages
I wish to free myself but cannot
They keep me immersed in illusions
They keep me tied
Away from your embrace they keep me tied

Destroy this comfort of earthly life
I have no need for this game
In oblivion, the day goes by, ends the play, in oblivion

Let your thunder clap in my heart
Kindle the fire of pain with it
Sweep me off in my own tears and then wipe my eyes
The tears that arise from the sorrow you give
The tears that wash away all disgrace

Emptying my heart, make your place in that space
Come and be my Lord, pray do not forget me
The void in my heart, stay there filling it with joy, the void in my heart

Lord, I’ve played many a game

প্রভু, খেলেছি অনেক খেলা
probhu khelechhi onek khela

Lord, I’ve played many a game
Now I want the comfort of your lap
My heart in its fatigue craves only for your blessings

Let your peace flow into my troubled soul
Forsaking all my possessions
I want you in every moment

Save me O Lord

রক্ষা করো হে
rokkha koro he

Save me O Lord
Save me from my own doings
My own shadow makes me quiver in fright
My own thoughts devour me, save me O Lord

Each day I weave a web of lies
And then I myself get entangled
Save me from these strands of deceit

My own pride stands guard at my heart
Save me O Lord from my own self

I do not know you yet am drawn to you

তোমারে জানি নে হে
tomare janine he

I do not know you yet am drawn to you
Without knowing you, the world still finds comfort in you

Infinite is your beauty
Who can experience it all?
You sweetness is ever so new
Without knowing you I have surrendered my all

You are the radiance of light
I am blinded with darkness
You soar high above
I drown in the depths
You are boundless
I am a mere weakling
What a glorious union – between you and me

Grant me too your forgiveness

আমারেও করো মার্জনা
amareo koro marjona

Grant me too your forgiveness
Give me too O Lord a sip of your nectar

I’ve come to the road leaving my home
I sit here darkened with dejection
Make in my heart too, a place for yourself

I know I am the tarnished child
You must give me too a place at your feet

I have myself sunk to sinful depths
I weep in remorse and repentance
Hear O Lord, my private pain

Save the wretched, O Lord

তারো তারো, হরি, দীনজনে
taro taro hori deenojone

Save the wretched, O Lord
Summon them to your path
Those who couldn’t offer their prayers, O benevolent One

I cannot see deliverance from this boundless ocean
My life is worn out with sin and sorrow
Amidst death and decay, give me a refuge
Shelter this weak and enfeebled self

Night envelops me, the lights go out
My day goes by in futile tasks
I have no road, nor the means to travel
I call out to you with all my soul
I wander about directionless
Straying far away from you
I lose my way in the lowest of the low worlds
My eyes blinded by illusion

Many are those who give directions

আমায় ছ জনায় মিলে
amay chho jonay mile

Many are those who give directions
And so I lose my way at each step
Many wise ones weave many a word
And so I waver in doubt

I yearn to go to you
To listen to you and allay my confusion
I’m deafened by their disputes
The mutterings of the multitudes

When stricken with grief I seek you
They screen me crowding around
And so I’m left groping in the dust
I do not get to touch your feet

The zillion slivers of my self
Hustle about in a zillion directions
They squabble among themselves
Who do I control? What do I do?
What a plight I am in!
My one self contains multitudes

Gather me up into a whole
Tying me with your love
Show me the one path in its entirety
I cry out confounded in conundrums
Draw me to your feet

Ah, my moonbeams, you are trapped

ও আমার চাঁদের আলো 
O amar chaander alo (audio)

Ah, my moonbeams, you are happily
Ensnared in my twigs and leaves
I hear you splay a cascade of songs
I witness the dam of starlight burst open
Your melodies pervade my heart,
My little homely porch within.

My buds crack open at your cue,
Respond, to your infectious smile,
The fragrance maddens the drift 
Wafting from the southern sea

Ah, silver beams, you endow me
You wash me in colour 
My impassioned heart can only whisper
Inexplicably intrigued by your smile

She has longed for me endlessly

যুগে যুগে বুঝি আমায় চেয়েছিল সে
Juge juge bujhi amay

Why does it seem as though
She has longed for me endlessly
As though, she sits there
Anxiously, on my way

Why do I remember
Something about her glance
In my nearing twilight
It feels as though,
She still sits there
Anxiously, on my way

Tonight a melody of light
Will drape the moon
The night will know it is time
To cast off its veil

In the waxing moonbeams
Two pairs of eyes will meet
And all blinds will be gone
For I can sense her still
Full of hope, as she waits
Along my way

Lord, I chant your name

হরি, তোমায় ডাকি
hori tomay daki

Lord, I chant your name
Alone in this world
I hurtle through a dark forest
Eyes awash in tears in the inky night
I cannot find a way

I panic at each moment
“What should I do, what should I do”
When will the dark night come?
And so in fright I chant your name
None else there is save you O Lord

My tears will not be in vain
They say you love your devotees
That hope is my support
I live with only that faith

Your eyes like the stars
Stay awake in the dark
Your devotees never lose their way
My heart seeks you and you alone
You are the guiding star
Whom else can I turn to?

Once you’ve graced me with your visage

দেখা যদি দিলে ছেড়ো না আর
dekha jodi dile
(audio)

Once you’ve graced me with your visage
Do not leave me anymore
I am but weak and wretched
Isn’t the world full of sin, temptation and danger
Alone, without you, I cannot trust myself

Will I then return, my friend?

তবে কি ফিরিব ম্লানমুখে সখা
tobe ki phiribo mlanmukhe shokha

Will I then return, my friend?
Disappointment writ large on my face
Won’t my troubled heart find solace?
Will I then return to earthly life?
To a world submerged in darkness
Won’t my hopes be fulfilled?

Leaving behind the tumult of the world

ভবকোলাহল ছাড়িয়ে
bhobokolahol chhariye

Leaving behind the tumult of the world
I’ve come to a quiet seclusion O Lord
I’ll soothe my soul with your visage
I’ll steep myself in sweet nectar

The day has gone by O Lord

দিন তো চলি গেল
din to choli gelo

The day has gone by O Lord
My heart cries out in deep distress
With each day, my life is on the decay
What have I achieved in this vacuous life?

How can I show my glum face?
What can I bring to you?
O Lord, my fear will abate
I will gain confidence and faith
If you summon this worthless self

I head home at the end of play

চলিয়াছি গৃহপানে
choliyachhi grihopaane

I head home at the end of play
Call me, do call me
My heart and soul are very weary

My robes are soiled with dust
I’m panic stricken in this darkness
I’ve partaken of melancholia
To allay the thirst of my soul

This game of worldly affairs is heart-wrenching
Having lost all my hope, I weep inconsolably

I build castles of dirt to see them crumble
I walk dejected and forlorn
Do grant me your consolation

With you I'll share my hopes and dreams

তোমারেই প্রাণের আশা কহিব
tomarei praaner asha kohibo

With you I'll share my hopes and dreams
I’ll gaze at your feet in all my joy and woe
Through my gloom and radiance

You know O Lord, why you sent me to this world
I’ll live in this realm obeying your wish
Happiness or sorrow – I’ll endure whatever you bestow

If I ever get lost in the woods
I’ll call out your name
When my heart is overwhelmed with unease
I’ll embrace your feet

I’ll give away my love in your world
I’ll offer myself at your service
When the time comes, call me to your lap
Where else can I find solace?

O Lord, where have I come

প্রভু, এলেম কোথায়
probhu elem kothay

O Lord, where have I come
When did the year go by?
When did life pass by?
What happened and when, I do not seem to know

Where did I come from?
Where am I headed for?
I drift like a straw in the flow of time

Each moment I am closer to death
Yet my consciousness remains cloaked in illusions

In sheer neglect, I’ve doomed my life to the dark
Much have I lost, much still I keep losing

Love has evaporated in throes of intolerable pain
Leaving my heart a desert

My tears know no bounds
I’ve lost all sense of direction
Where O where is the guiding star?

The year has gone by

বর্ষ ওই গেল চলে
borsho oi gelo chole

The year has gone by
I’ve erred a lot
Forgive me and draw me to your lap
I’ve squandered so much time
Fixated on my own self
I did not look upto you
I did not call out to you O Father

Your mercy knows no end
You are forever there for me
Your steadfast gaze upon my face
I think of your affection
And my body thrills in delight
O Lord, I’ll never ever be oblivious to you

Where are you Lord

কোথা আছ, প্রভু, এসেছি দীনহীন
kotha aachho probhu

Where are you Lord
I’ve come to you weary and weak
Not a shelter I have in this wide world
I’ve wandered far and wide
Calling your name in distress
Won’t you respond?
Won’t you look at me?
Will you leave me in this fathomless dark?
Night falls, I do not know the way
I am all alone amidst this forest

O Mother, draw me to your lap
This tired child seeks rest
Quench her thirst with nectar
Soothe her with your affection
Forsaking you, she had gone afar
She weeps today having lost her way
She won’t leave anymore
She’ll stay close to you
Holding your hand, she’ll walk without fear

Come O Lord,
Look upon me with fondness
Assuage my pain
I’ll find strength anew
I’ll wipe off my tears
I’ll touch your feet and my wants will be met

Moonbeams flooding up the night

চাঁদের হাসির বাঁধ ভেঙেছে
*Chaander hashir bandh bhengechhe (audio: Dwijen Mukhopadhyay)

Moonbeams flood out the sky --
in a sea of radiance,
Dear tuberose, won't you sacrifice your fragrance?

A wild wind wanders now and then,
Listens to the cue from wonderland.
Every blossom of the wild
seems like a lost friend.

The blue night painted with warm yellow light,
a pair of swans carrying songs, wander by.

Moon, you spread on the ground
flower-dust you seem to have found.
See a bride making light
in the high heavens.

*an attempt has been made to restore the original rhythm to be able to sing in English

When you could seek your royal prize

পূর্ণ প্রাণে চাবার যাহা
*Purno praane chabar jaha (audio)

When you could seek your royal prize
Why extend your hands for alms, why?
Why should you plead with tearful eyes?

Welcome her with a string of gems
Your hearts will be duly exchanged
Why do you wish to seat your goddess
On pathways in a desert of sand?

In summer when the groves are dry
The drift seethes with a pitiful sigh
Would you present your bouquet of buds
A heart-offering, so wilted and wry?

When you usher in your special guest
Usher her in with true respect
Let the sky glow with a thousand stars
In the darkness of your precious tryst

*an attempt has been made to restore the original rhythm to able to sing in English

We are but children

আমরা যে শিশু অতি
amra je shishu oti

We are but children, our minds immature
At each step, O Father, we slip and fall
Why then show us your wrathful form
Why the occasional frown

Pray, do not be angry with us
Tell us gently where we have erred

A thousand times you pick us up
A thousand times we fall, we fail
Such is the lot of the frail

The earth is our home
It's dust blinds our vision
We were born as children
And so with dust we play
Give us courage O Lord
You who are the refuge of the weak
Assure us of your presence

If we make one mistake
Will you never draw us to your lap
Will you then turn away
And leave us grounded
With our consciousness forever veiled

Will I never grasp my muse

 হায় রে, ওরে যায় না কি জানা
*Ore jay na ki jana (audio: Nilima Sen)

O -- alas
Will I never know my muse!
My anxious eyes entreat to meet her
Yet she is diffuse
o -- alas

On unseen trails she comes and goes
Her steps I heed like a telling prose
An aura wafts about in drifts
A hint, a cue abstruse
o -- alas

How can I convey my stir
I wait along the path for her

My heart beholds in eventide, a play
Of colours washed in shade and light, a lay
Of fallen buds on earth sublime
A bed of blossom-blues
o -- alas

* An attempt has been made to restore the original rhythm of the song to be able to sing in English

A touch of sweetness.. in the breeze..

ফুলে ফুলে ঢ'লে ঢ'লে 
Phule phule dhole dhole  

 A touch of sweetness.. in the breeze.. that
Softly swings.. blossoms.. today..
A winding stream that gently gurgles..
In its happy course.. at play.
The cuckoo sings.. in trees.. and gardens..
a cuhoo cuhoo cuhoo.. lay..
I lost my heart .. I don't know why
I'm absolutely cast away..

**an attempt for English ballad rendition..

Be happy with what you get

যাহা পাও তাই লও
jaha pao tai lou

Be happy with what you get
Whom do you want and why?
Who can satiate your thirst?

There are many who wish but few who get
Yet the world goes on
Some who smile
Some who cry
Some who await at the door

A stranger at my gateway, knocks

কে দিল আবার আঘাত
Ke dilo abar aghat (audio: Debabrata Biswas)

A stranger at my gateway, knocks
I wonder what he wants from me
It is a somber night, a night of rain
I am left alone to my memory

I recall a visit, so many years
A youthful one showed up in spring
He changed my life with vibrant vibes
He won my heart with stirring swings

A downpour of eternal rain
Thick darkness surrounds my gloom
My lamps have died in a shattered shack
I wait,  awake, in my lonely room

My beloved stranger, as I read,
Your songs lilt on, mirthful, sweet,
My heart would love to seek you out
Through an inky, nameless, secret street

O cautious wayfarer

ওরে সাবধানী পথিক
orey shabdhani pothik

O cautious wayfarer
Why despair if you lose your way
Blind your sight with the flood of your tears

At the end of the road where you lost your way
Lies the garden where you lost your heart
There beneath the barbs and brambles
Strewn are flowers of crimson hues
There at the edges of the endless ocean
Goes on the game of creation and destruction

You hold on to your heaps and hordes
Gathered over many a day
Let them wither and fall away
Like flowers on a night of tempest
Come now, adorn yourself
With the crown of renunciation

My door looks out to the road

দুয়ার মোর পথপাশে
duar mor pothopashe

My door looks out to the road
I keep it open in eager hope
Awaiting the arrival of his chariot

In the monsoons I hear its distant rumblings in the clouds
In spring I hear its murmurs and rustles in the breeze
It sends a thrill through my heart ever so often

I see everyone go forward
They do not stop to look back
In tumultous waves of excitement
They go singing songs of the road

Autumn clouds sail away into the distance
Where all roads lead into a land filled with melody
My heart in its dreams takes flight to which realm?

I welcome you, a life anew

এসো গো নূতন জীবন
esho go nuton jibon

I welcome you, a life anew
Come in merciless stern silence
Come in terrible beauty
Come in unpleasant arid bitterness
Come moistened in deluge of tears
Come in a void shorn of adornments
Come and purify my heart

Keep aside the flute,
the string of jasmine,
the night of full moon,
the misty fog of illusion
Come in blazing flame of the sacrificial fire
Engulfing the blood in my veins
Come as the ultimate grief
Devouring the shoots of hope
Come as struggle, come as victory
Come in the realisation of death

You’ve lain a trap across the world

বিশ্বজোড়া ফাঁদ পেতেছ
bishwo joda phnad

How can I evade the trap
You’ve lain across the world
A part of me is trapped
Another is yet to be

I wonder why my heart at times
Opens up forgetting itself
At other times it is en-sheathed
A part of me is trapped
Another is yet to be

My facade is like an oyster
A hardened shell
In my heart for you I store
A treasured speck of tear

My heart wants to see you
With unflinching gaze
Yet my eyes fail me why
A part of me is trapped
Another is yet to be