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Bengali Mystic Songs From Oral Traditions..
Bengali Mystic Songs From Oral Traditions..
PRITHVINDRA
CHAKRAVARTI
5.
P A P U A
P O C K E T
Port Moresby 1970
P O E T S
I N T R O D U C T I O N
The word boul (or more correctly bGul) i s probably derived from Sanskrit
what i t should be: a baul i s he whose presence i s felt on the earth only
by his disabled body and abnormal mind.
living deod.
Though rooted i n ancient past and historically traceable i n the
successive stages o f cultural and religious development of Bengal, the
:
a haul doer not leave behind any mark to lead others, nor would he follow
!
t"
baul must rely entirely on himself and find his own path to follow.
-- a teacher - i n fact,
A
The
teacher.
The baul way (or ponth, as i t is called), as found i n the present day
Bengali speaking region of South Asia, has inherited three distinct traditions.
Fiat one may be traced i n the esoteric c u l t of Bengol which would be docunented in the extant texts of &songs
Second
ons hos been directly derived from Sufism, which entered this region with
lslom (13th century).
and minstrels who deny any formal religiou5 affiliation (to either Hinduism or
Islam:
13
coloured robe, do not visit any temple or mosque, and do not perform c i n y llindu
OI Muslim rites are good evidence of their firm denial.
i n asceticism.
Worship has no
The ultimate goal o l
- the componio~
God.
Hence man:
The guru
does not leod a baul into any strict order, for initiation (in the technical
or convermtion takes place between guru and disciple, the latter livens up
sings, dances, plays a monochord (ektErE) or a two-stringed instrument
6
*(
or gopiyantra),
The gur
is laid on the baul way for a group of bauls who believe thot guru or
("master") alone con take them to the supreme state of beautitude;
even equate (kort6-bhoj6) him with such state or
some
God.
korth
flows on.
CGtila, a composer
bGhr/
//
//
"
He must take the task to himself to explore the whole stream and
He, then,
sngoges himself i n singing and dancing, and rests only when his ecstatic
h w r t feels contented.
omund, until i t merges into maner manush, and i t must happen i n this world.
The soul does not return t o this world to compensate any unfulfilled obligations, for a baul does not leave behind any obligations, i n the first place.
A moving boat does not leave any mark i n the midstream, i t does so only
on the muddy banks.
Most of the songs selected here were collected i n the early 50's from
Birbhum in West Bengal.
North
University, 1942)).
volume, viz. UNFOLD THE TRICKY PUZZLE and A FEAST IN THE END,
have an obscure origin, which, i n our present knowledge, is very difficult
to determine.
Most songs, perhaps except the two riddles and STRANGE ART,
have as many multi-forms as can be imagined, for these are unong the
most popular baul songs throughout West Bengal and East Pakistan and can
be instantly recognised by any Bengali, who has some acquaintance with thc
WILD HOPE
0 w i l d hope.
I planted a tree named hope,
I sat on its roots
Waiting for the fruit,
But before my hope was fulfilled
The tree f e l l to the ground, ih branches crushed
0 wild hope.
I hove taken the boat t o the rhore at the end of the day.
But alas, i t can never reach the other shore.
0 wild hope.
A DANGEROUS S E A
0 mind,
When you see the water, your body w i l l revolt against you
And you w i l l
A WORNOUT BOAT
M y boat is wornout
Waves run high.
M y boat i s i n the deep sea
I t cannot reach the shore.
A wornout boat cannot forget its miseries.
BOAT
IN WHIRLPOOL
My boot i n a whirlpool.
I take?
I see Him,
He resides everywhere
MANER MANUSH
Why do I journey to my maner manush
Why
When shall
be?
When shall
When shall
LOVE I S CRUEL
0 guru,
0 love,
STRANGE ART
When
0 Radha!
He w i l l
Breeze sweeps through the palace of eight chambers and nine doors
But when i t stops, your l i f e w i l l end.
Are you sleeping, mind?
THE
BLACK
CAT
0 mad soul, you could not move an inch towards the goal.
IN MY V I S I O N
I went to a mysterious house and saw:
New plants had grown i n rows,
Saw wanders and mystery:
Fire was burning i n water.
I t was extinguished, then burning again,
I t was glowing a l l the time.
STRINGS
be
rewarded.
Like a wishing tree, the gum fulfils everyone who wonhips him.
The English have brought another string.
The news trcrvels along that string.
But.theirs cannot be compared to the string of ultimate knowledge.
0 mind,
k i n g tempted by glamour,
0 mind,
The fourteen worlds are far apart, like heaven and earth.
Where do triangles and quadrangles meet heptagons?
Freedom i s far oway, obstacles are tied up with nuisance,
A m i l l grinds time:
There i s an egg
Which has six yolks.
P A P U A
P O C K E T
P O E T S
edited by U l l i Beier
TAAROA
PANTUN
lJALA
LUO Z A H O
Indonesian Poetry
PYTHON
Ibo Poetry
Poetry by Children
A IA
Mekeo Poetry
O N L Y DUST
L I M LlBUR
Tolai Poenls
AK ARU
Buin Songs
BIAFRA
A HANDFUL OF SUN
KAKAILE KAKAILE
Tolai Songs
BAUL
In Preparation
17
PIDGIN SONGS
0 mind,
0 mind,
0 mind,