Tag: bengali literature

Debotar Gras (The Divine Seize) by Rabindranath Tagore Across the lands, the news spread like rage To the confluence shall the priest go on his voyage. To undertake the sacred bath. Companions joined him from lands far and wide The young, the old, men and women – all gathered at his side. Two boats lay…

Niruddesh Jatra by Rabindranath Tagore A translation of Tagore’s poem “Niruddesh Jatra” from his collection, “Shonar Toree” (The Golden Boat). The original can be found here. Voyage into the Unknown How farther shall you take me, O beautiful maiden? Your boat of gold will be moored In the harbour of which eden? Whenever I ask,…

Gandharir Abedan (Gandhari’s Plea) by Rabindranath Tagore The following is my translation of an extract from Rabindranath Tagore’s poem/ play Gandharir Abedan (Gandhari’s Plea). The initial section of the poem is a conversation between Dhritarashtra, the blind king of the Kauravas and his son, the prince Duryodhan. The conversation is taking place at a moment…

Bojhapora (An Understanding) by Rabindranath Tagore My first attempt at translating a Tagore poem. The original can be found here Tell thyself today, Whether the truth be stormy or breezy Let it on your mind sit easy. Some do love you While others can’t bring themselves to, Some are sold already, while the other Do…

Tungabhadra’r Teere (By The Shores of Tungabhadra) by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay A review Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay is perhaps most widely known for creating the quintessential Bengali and likeable sharp-witted sleuth, Byomkesh Bakshi. However, there is a fine set of historical fiction he has authored which is a wonderful contribution to Bengali, if not Indian, literature in its…

When in Class X, a prose in our Bengali text was an extract from a piece by Rabindranath Tagore on Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. The concluding part of the extract remained etched in my memory for? its sheer strength and its scathing nature. Below is my translation from the original piece in Bengali. Tagore talks about…

On Bankim: The first major Bengali novelist Before there was Rabi, there was Bankim.. I started reading Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (also known as Bankim Chandra Chatterjee) at an impressionable age. I was still in school and had heard Vande Mataram. So, when I became aware that this legendary melody was part of a novel an…

Byomkesh, Feluda and Kakababu Byomkesh, Feluda and Kakababu are three characters of Bengali literature who have captured the imagination and attention of teenagers and young adults in Bengal over the past decades. This piece is meant as a tribute to these three charismatic men whom Bengali youngsters have idolized and been mesmerized by. In Byomkesh…