Translation : "Sokhi bhabona kahaare bole" ~ Rabindranath Tagore

Original Song: 

Sokhi, Bhabona kahaare bole. Sokhi, jaatona kahaare bole.
Tomra je bolo dibosho-rojoni 'bhalobasha' 'bhalobasha' -
Sokhi, bhalobasha kaare koy! Se ki kebol-e jatonamoy.
Se ki kebol-e chokher jol? Se ki kebol-e dukher shwaas.
Loke tobe kore kee sukher-e tore  emon dukher aash.

Amaar chokhe to sokol-e shobhon,
Sokol-e nobeen, sokol-e bimol, suneel akaash, shyamol kaanon,
bishod jochhona kusum komol - sokol-e amaar moto.
Taara kebol-e haashe, kebol-e gaay,  haashiya kheliya morite chay -
Naa jaane bedon, naa jaane rodon, naa jaane shaadher jatona joto.

Phool se haashite haashite jhore, jochhona haashiya milaaye jay,
Haashite haashite aloksaagore akaasher taara teyaage kay,
Amaar moton shukhi ke aachhe. Aay shokhi, aay amaar kaachhe -
Shukhi hridoyer shukher gaan shuniya toder jooraabe praan.

Protidin jodi kaandibi kebol ekdin noy haashibi tora -
Ekdin noy bishaad bhuliya shokole miliya gaahibo mora.


Translated version in English:

In my eyes every thing is beautiful,
every being is new, every entity is pure;
The azure sky, the verdant plains,
The abundant moonlight, and the delicate buds -
every one of them is like me.

They laugh, they sing, 
They want to die in joy and play.
They know not pain, 
They do not weep,
They know not any futile suffering.

The blossoms wither in joy,
The moonlight fades in mirth,
In what unutterable bliss 
doth the night star drowns in light.

Who is there as happy as me,
Come my dear Friend and hear from me,
The joyous song of a joyful heart
Let it make your heart sing aloud.

In the midst of all sorrow, 
let us laugh one day,
Let us forget all woe, 
and sing together in gay -

What is woe, My Friend, what is pain,
You speak of love day and night-
What is love without tears in vain.

~*~

Other Translations:

1. Amar praaner majhe sudha ache

Travelogue ~ Kaleidoscope ~ Part III

Contd. from Travelogue-Kaleidoscope-Part-II

||Porochorcha||

Live location e boshe lekhar mojai alada.

Ekhon boshe achi Caribou Cafe te - amar barir saamnei. Ekhankar system gulo in general khub disciplined r chhoke bandha.

Prottek ta residential elakar kachhe ekta kore shopping complex. Taate basic dokaangulo thakbei - boro grocery store, jamakaporer dokaan, cafe, food joint, pub, brewery, parlour. Arear opor depend kore dokaaner sonkhya r variety baarte pare. Ekta centrally located park thakbe jeta onekgulo area theke accessible. Theatre, library, gym. Manusher bhalobhabe thakar jonne ja ja basic amenities, sob e thakbe.

Americar civilians-ra in general prochur tax dey. Income er flat 30 percent minimum tax hisebe kata jabei. Tax er teente level ache - Federal tax (jeta Central government er tax), State Tax (Rajyo Kor), r tarpor Area Tax, mane locality tax. E chhara medical insurance alada. Bharotborsher moto araamer jayga theke eshe eto tax dite khub e gaaye lagey. Kintu jokhon ashepashe takiye dekhi j sei takar sodbyabohaar hochhe, tokhon bhalo lagey.

Arekta byapar ekhaane lokkhoniyo.

Rastaghaate cholte-phirte era chena-ochena sobaikei hese greet kore. Prothom prothom eshe ochena lokjoner kachh theke hasimukhe obhibadon peye ektu obaak r shonkito hoyechilam. Kintu dheere dheere bujhlam eta ekhankar culture. No malice, no ill intentions.Bisesh kichui na - "Bhalo theko" ba "Tomar din bhalo jaak" - manush hisebe arekjon manusher kachh theke ei acknowledgement ta pelei monta koto bhalo hoye jay. Sobsomoy ekta positive energy ghire thake.

Amar mone hoy eta bheeshon joruri. Especially current India-r moto ekta tiktotay bhora jaygay.

Janina keno amra sobsomoy eke-opor k gaaligalaj kori r bhabi onno loke amar khoti korte chay. Shabdhaani hoya bhalo, loker bhul dhorao bhalo, kintu beshimatray hole seta paranoia te daray. Gota deshta eto distrust r negative energy te bhore geche. Amra janina kaake bissas korbo. Eke opor k respect korina, insecurity te bhugi. Eto hopelessness.

Bhabben na j Americay eshe desher ninde korchi. America bhogobaner desh noy. Kintu jekhankar jeta bhalo, seta k acknowledge kora uchit. Ekta better society te eshe nijeder khamtigulo k dyakhar sujog peyechi. Nijer chokhe dekhchi - hyan erokombhabe thaka shombhob. Prithibir ekpraante jokhon hochhe, tokhon onno praante hobe na keno?

In fact, ami jekhane boro hoyechi, sekhane dekhechi society koto open hote pare, even by Indian standards. Sei shonar jayga k maatite mishe jeteo dekhechi. Sekhane aaj sudhui dhongshostoop. Kintu se onno kahini. Arekdin bola jabe.

Modda kotha holo, doinondin jeebone chhoto chhoto achaar-achoron gulo broader aspect e bheeshonbhabe matter kore.

Amra jodi nijeder chhele-meye-bhai-bon er kachhe ek-ekta example hoye darate pari, tahole kar shaddho Bharot k tene namanor?

Filmy bhashay - "Boond Boond se saagar hota hai".

~*~

Ekhon sondhe saare saat ta baaje. Sondhe sudhu naamei. Arctic Zone er kachakachi howate ekhane surjo deri te dobe. Geography-r lesson mone porlo. Alaskay chhoy maash din r chhoy maash raat. Boi er pora gulo jokhon miliye dekha jay, tokhon kee  moja hoy na?

Ekta bishaal boro komla ronger surjo dobaar chesta korche. Or ekhon onno dike duty. Ektu agey amar ek bheeshon bhalo bondhur songe chat korchilam. Taar ekhon bhor raat. Amar ekhane surjota tuk kore dube, or odike tup kore uthe porbe. Darun byapar! Prokriti sottie kee sundor!

Ekhane Saturday night ekta besh boro byapar. Americans ra sara sopta kaaj kore r weekende chutiye relax kore.

Rastay ekhon prochur traffic. Sob gaari niye shopping mall, disc, pub e chole jabe. Ekhon Minnesotay State Fair cholche. To maximum jonota k sekhanei pawa jabe. 

Echhara periodically ekhane kichhu na kichhu hotei thake - concert, theatre, parade, festival. Soptaher kono fixed dine Farmer's Market boshe ekta fixed location e. Seta kono park ba arena hote pare.

Farmer's Market byaparta amader ektu odbhut thekte pare. Amra bajaar bolte fresh markets bujhi. Americay serokom noy. Ekhane sob e departmental store. Grocery store e chaal, daal, tori-torkari, mangsho-maachh-dim sob packet e bikri hocche. Dokaane dokaane ghure best jinista choose kore, bargain kore neoar kono sujog nei. Majhe majhe packet e du-ekta aloo pochao berote pare. You have to live with it. A bane of supply chains.

To soptaher ekdin Farmer's market e sob fresh jinish pawa jay. Local chashira taja sobji, seasonal fol, homemade bread r cheese niye chole asbe bikri korte. Per basket ba per tray fixed daam. Jeta bhalo lagey seta holo ekhane sobrokom labour er daam achhe, somman achhe. Chashi bole tumi desher needy category nou. Tumi ekjon respected person. Cholone-bolone bojhai jabe na tara chashi. Chokher saamne amader desher dhaankhete paa dubiye dhaan pota chashider chhobi ta ek jholok bheshe uthlo. Education duure thak, tara nijeder basic human rights sombondhe obogoto noy. Tara konodin jante chayni, amrao konodin janaini.

Ekhankar lokjon beshi lekhapora januk na januk, nijeder kaajta bhalo bhabe jaane. Eder beshirbhaag e on-the-job sikheche, r bhalobhabe sikheche. R desher nagorik hisebe ki ki rights pawa uchit, seta ekhane sobai jane. Eder government seta well advertise koreche r era seta mone rekheche. Bonchito hole era mukh khulte jane.

Travelogue ~ Kaleidoscope ~ Part II

Contd. from Travelogue-Kaleidoscope-Part-I

||Khelaghor||

Baari khonjay goto saat bochhore besh expert hoye uthechi. Tai onek kaathkhor porabaar por jokhon moner moto studiotar khonj pelam, tokhon r dwitiyo baar bhabini. Shoja tolpitolpa niye dhuke porlam.

Tokhon April maash holeo choturdike borof. Amar nobolobdho dui bandhobi luggage somet gaari kore pouchhe diye gelo.

Notun songshar, se ekaar-e hok ki dokaar-e hok, besh jhokkir byapaar.

Nijer innovative mind k kaaje lagiye potapot packing box diye chhoto-boro 3te table baniye fellam. Chair er balai nei. Bhoomisojjai soi.

Carpet er opor sleeping bag r comforter pete bichhana. Ekta khawar table (majhaari packing box), ekta lekhapora korar table (sob theke chhoto packing box).

Folding light ta arrange kore alo jalabaar por bujhte parlam ekhane "Day Light" bolte holud alo k bojhay. Amar local Advisor k jigges kore jante parlum amar "White Light" bulb kena uchit chhilo. Seti amader tubelight er synonymous.

Edesher rannaghor gulo khub e sundor. Ekdom modular kitchen. Jodio rannaghor e dhokaar ovvesh nei, tao cupboard, pantry, double-door refrigerator, four-burner oven, dishwasher, microwave r oven dekhe jaarpornai khushi holum. Jaater dosh.

Gas oven-ti electric. Burner-gulo ektu study kore mechanism ta bujhe nite holo.

Bathroom-er bathtub ta main attraction, ebong sudhumatro amar. Aha! Ki anondo!

~*~

Manush ghora dekhle khnora hoy. Etodin Lokkhi Di-r bhorshay theke besh spoilt hoye gechi. Songe additional benefit hisebe chhilo amar chhelebelar bondhur baba-maayer neighbourly care.

Kintu ekhaane sesober scope nei. Finally on my own in all respects.

Ranna korata sobtheke mathabyathar byapar. Ekdom parina ta noy, kintu practice nei bole confidence ta kom.

Maa-er likhe deoa recipe-r khata ta khule boshlam. Worst case scenario hisebe bhaat-aloo sheddho-dim sheddho to achhei.

Ekdin aloor dom korlam. Dekhlam kharap holo na byaparta. Aste aste upgrade holo dimer daalna, alooposto, lemon rice, pulao, payesh, chingrir curry, ebong aro onek kichute. Emonki pressure cooker chalanor moto challenging task o shikhe fellam onayashe.

Nijeke dekhe nijei obaak hoye gelam. Sottie, necessity is the mother of invention!


Kaajer jaygata mondo noy. Ekta alada cubicle. Lokjon bhalo.

Americay main somosya holo transport. Public transport nei bollei chole. Ekhane sobbai nijer nijer gaarite jatayaat kore. Per family minimum teen-te kore gaari. Driving license pawar agey duto bichhiri porikkha dite hoy. Se porikkha naki pass kora ottonto kotheen.Tai praaye mone hoy duto paayer bodole chaarte chaka niye jonmale bhalo hoto. Kopaal jore amar barir theke office porjonto bus jay. Tai banchoya.

Contd. to Travelogue-Kaleidoscope-Part-III

Travelogue ~ Kaleidoscope ~ Part I

||Ure eshe juure bosha||

Bochhorer dwitiyo ordhe eshe bochhorer shurur kotha bolata bheeshon e odbhut. Kintu jehetu eta 13 saal, odbhuture bemokka jinishgulo cholable. (Eta obossoi amar logic).

2013-r prothom din chhilam Kodaikanal e. Sedin Kodaikanal e bisesh South Indian halua diye mishtimukh kore Madurai jachhi. Porer din poucholam Kanyakumari te.

Amar traveling list-er onek onek jaygar moddhe ekta bheeshon important jayga - Southern most tip of India.

Jawar somoy ekta odbhut feeling hochhilo. Mone hochhilo dupasher rastagulo kromosho chepe asche. Mone hochhilo, ebare sandwich hoye jabo na to?

Adote erokom kichui noy. Amar over-imaginative moshtishker durdanto sob bhabna.

Kintu sedin bikele sei opaar somudrer paare dariye ostomito surjo k dekhte dekhte kokhon j nijeke bhule gechi bujhtei parini. Mathar moddhe tokhon sudhui oshanto dheu r obaak chomok - "bipul jolorashi" tahole ekei bole.

Sei bikele oi laal akaash r neel-kaalo joler saamne dariye notun bhabe upolobdhi korlam -

"Akaash bhora surjo taara;   
  Bishwo bhora praan,
  Taahari maajhkhaane ami peyechi more sthaan.
  Bishshoye tai jaage amar gaan."  (~Rabindranath Tagore)

~*~

February maashe marattok tarahuro kore, duto pahaarer moto suitcase r ekta amar theke boro rucksack niye eshe porlam saat somudro tero nodi paare, prithibir ekdom ulto dike.

Onekdiner jonne baari te jete parbo na, onekdiner jonne chenashona lokjoner songe dyakha hobe na - esob bhabbar somoye paini.

Mukhe lagaam diye tokhon sudhu chhut, chhut r chhut.

Eshe porlam sompurno oporichito-der moddhe. Adventure -er ashay tokhon ami togbog korchi.

Kolkatay gotanugotik-er moddhe thakte thakte praanta chhotfot korchilo. Badhon chhenra ta majhe majhe khub joruri hoye pore.

Minnesota sombondhe sudhu etukui jene esechi j ekhane bheeshon thanda pore. Arctic zone er khub kachakachi. Moner moddhe school belakar Atlas ta ektu uki diye doob marlo. Canada, Alaska r Eskimo mone porlo. Minnesota k kosminkaaleo dekhechi ki na mone porlo na.



Tarpor paanch maash kete geche.

Er moddhe nijer alada ghor niyechi - jeta prothombaar bideshe eshe shadharonoto keu korena. Herogiri dekhate noy, goto paanch-chhoy bochhore nijer jeebontay nijer moto thakte ovvosto hoye gechi, tai eka thakata sobtheke natural consequence mone holo. Amar kachhe notun noy.

Nijer chhotto studio ta k nijer moto kore guchhiyechi.

Kichu abosshok, beshir bhaag onabosshok jinishe chhoriye-chhitiye besh achi.

Notun desh, taar notun niyom, notun culture er notun achaar-achoron - shikhchi dheere dheere.


Prothom jedin eka eka rasta paar hote gelam, bishaal jor ekkhana horn khelam. Jaanlaam pothochaaridero traffic light mene raasta paar hote hoy, sudhumatro zebra crossing diyei. Rastar majhkhaan diye shortcut maarar chesta korle kopale accident ba horn achhe.

Kokhon raasta paar hobo bujhtei parina. Signal green holeo keno j haat ta sobsomoy laal hoye thake k jaane.
Phone korlam amar local Advisor k (mainly jaar bhorshay ekhane esechi).

"Acha bol to ei haat ta keno sobsomoy laal hoye thake?"

Opaar theke uttor elo, "Orey, rastar paashe pole ache dyakh. Ote botaam ache. Ota tiple tobe WALK lekhata dyakha jabe. Chhoto town guloy erokom thaake."

Moner proshno duur holo. Taito! Achha, erokom byapar?

Horn khawar possibility ta komlo. Tobe kodin lokkho kore dekhlam j rasta motamuti faanka thakle loke dibbi chhute chhute paar hoy. 

Jaak, manush gulo tahole dui dike eki rokom.

Contd. to Travelogue-Kaleidoscope-Part-II

Ordhek Jeebon

Jotoduur chokh jay

      Sudhui aakaash.

Ekhaan theke shuru hoye

      Misheche kothao,

Onno kono aakaashe.

Ei bichhanay, ei muhurto

     Theme achhe mook nisshongotay;

Onno kono prithibite,

Onno kono somoye

Chhilo mukhor dinjapon,

Ek-e neerobotay.

Ordhek er seemanay,

Ordhek poth periye

Onek holo paoa,

Kichhu gelo khowa.

Ekhono ordhek baaki,

Aro pothchola,

Songe thakbe aakash

R ei nisshobdota.

Travelogue ~ In search of India ~ Part I

The First Look : Chennai

 28th December 2012.

It has been three days in Chennai.

Right now (@1 pm) I am lying down in a hotel room at Greams Road, waiting for my parents to return from the renowned Apollo Hospital. A long pending agenda, convincing my very obstinate and disobedient parents for a thorough check-up, seems to be finally over.

My parents are obviously not happy at the amount of money spent. Parents in India, somehow, manage to grow the belief that they are super humans, and nothing wrong can happen to them if their children are fine. And all the money they have saved throughout their lifetime is meant to be spent only on their children. Angels they are!

However, I, being an equally obstinate offspring of my dear parents, generally get my way. Thus here we are!

Apollo Hospital is a pilgrimage in itself. The first day I walked in through the lobby, I was awe-inspired. A magnanimous enterprise constituted of hundreds of departments, thousands of staff and lakhs of patients and their companions from all over India and the neighbouring countries – all functioning together in sync like clockwork. You can feel the presence of a very strong central management body. Of course there are hiccups, but on the whole, the organization is quite good. This - if you see it as a business unit.

I have never been particularly fond of hospitals, because as soon as I enter one, I begin to feel nauseated. But this time, there was no getting away. My parents, by now being on a check-up spree, very slyly pulled me into the programme and had the last laugh. So there I was on the second day, waiting in a long line for endoscopy and colonoscopy. If you have never undergone these tests, you will never be able to understand the amount of pain one has to go through. And the worst part is Colonoscopy is literally the quintessential “GMD” with a camera fitted to the “D”!

Dear God! I had to live to see this day!

~

Chennai is a place about which I have heard many tales.

About the hot weather, which is true since the ceiling fan is always in full swing here while the rest of India is dying in cold.

About the infamous “Auto Raj” which is also supposedly true. The entire city is well-connected by autos, but the fares are exorbitant and dynamic. May be we are receiving this treatment because we are tourists. Or, maybe it is the norm here. People who have stayed in Chennai before will be able to validate. There are buses too. But they are of not much help to newbies like us who don’t know the local language and the bus routes.

But there are many similarities between Chennai and Kolkata. Starting from the Central Station which looks like Howrah station to the mohallas , the never-ending traffic, the city layout, the filth, the abundant advertisements of the Misses Chief Ministers. The differences that are evident are the wideness of the roads, the many flyovers, the much flexible traffic rules which allow you to ride a bike without a helmet and with your earphones on without getting heavily fined, unlike in Kolkata, the enormous sized fruits and vegetables (the longest green chilli ever without an ounce of hotness!), and of course the sky-rocketing prices of things in general.

And yes, the sea too! It is more raging in Chennai than around Kolkata.

To be honest, Marina Beach is one of the filthiest beaches I have been to. Come afternoon and hordes of people throng the vast shore which remains congested by various shops. It is like a fair every afternoon. Small shops selling sea-shells, ornaments, banana chips, fish, ornaments, gift items – imagine the amount of littering and filth! Be it any state, we Indians are so alike when it comes to leaving our trash behind. The sea is a great sight. But the crowd gives you no relief.

There is a new memorial adjacent to the beach. The MGR and Periragambar Anna Memorial erected by the current Chief Minister of Tamilnadu. A sprawling marble complex, still under construction and no entry fee. Another free space for the crowds to throng and litter.

Two hundred bucks and you can reach the shopping complex of T. Nagar. If you take your mom or aunts here, they are bound to go berserk on seeing the collection of stainless steel utensils here. My advice - don’t see your pocket and sulk, but take part in the shopping and enjoy. If you choose the utensils for them and reduce the job of the salesman, you may even end up with a job offer there!

Back at the hotel, my dad is hard at his Tamil lessons from a newly bought “Learn Tamil in 30 days”. Hope he leaves me out of this!