The Raindrop Song
The sun has nearly set. It’ll be
Dusk
very soon.
The clouds, have flocked the skies,
Awaiting
the moon.
In the colours of the monsoon clouds –
The
western sky glows,
And in our little village temple,
The
conch shell blows.
Across the fields, the rain starts,
On
the hazy, misty swamps.
While on this side, the clouds await,
With
a hundred lit lamps.
Stormy winds bring memories back,
Of
this old childhood song –
“Pitter-patter falls the rain,
And
floods come along”.
Across the skies, the monsoon clouds,
Many
games they played.
Across countries, beyond borders,
None
did ever forbade.
Over many a beautiful garden –
It
rains as it passes by,
Conjuring many a new sport,
As
boundless it does fly.
The playful clouds reminds me of,
The
many games we played,
The endless, timeless hide and seek,
In
every home we stayed.
Along with it, comes memories of,
This
old childhood song –
“Pitter-patter falls the rain,
And
floods come along”.
I remember the evening lamps, and
My
mother’s smiling face,
I remember, in the thunderous booms,
My
heartbeats would race.
In the far corner of the poster bed,
My
little brother did sleep,
Holding her tight, close to him,
Our
mother, did he keep.
Inside, I recall, yet unspent,
I
played unrestrained,
While outside, with lashing winds,
Furiously
it rained.
Along with it, comes memories of,
This,
my mother’s song –
“Pitter-patter falls the rain,
And
floods come along”.
Suo and Duo, the two queens,
Their
story did I recall.
Of Kankabati and the tragedy,
That
upon her did fall.
I recall, in one corner,
A
flickering lone lamp,
I recall, the dancing shadows,
On
the other wall, damp.
The steady rain on the tin roof,
Like
drumbeats they rolled,
As the naughty child, enthralled,
Listened
to tales old.
Along with it, comes memories of,
A
rainy day’s song –
“Pitter-patter falls the rain,
And
floods come along”.
Who knows when the floods came by,
And
when it rained so.
Of the blessed Lord’s fabled wedding,
From
a time so long ago.
Did dark clouds blanket the skies,
One
such day, that age.
Along with lightning and thunder claps
Did
a manic storm rage.
After their marriage, the three brides,
How
did their tale end?
Beside which river, in which land,
Was
this story penned?
For which child, this lullaby,
Who
first sang this song –
“Pitter-patter falls the rain,
And
floods come along”.
Translated by: Chinmoy Bhattacharjee
Original: “Brishti Pore Tapur Tupur” by Rabindranath Tagore
Brishti Pore Tapur Tupur (বৃষ্টি পড়ে টাপুর টুপুর), from the Shishu (শিশু) collection has been a difficult poem to translate. It
is replete with references to folklore and legends, even children’s rhymes –
that the great civilization of Bengal has passed on from generation to
generation for centuries. Every Bengali child would have heard these legends
from their grandmothers, would have read these fairy tales in their childhood
books and would have learnt these rhymes at a very young age. For them, these
allusions would have instantaneous recall and would need no further
elucidation. Not so, for an English reader. And the constraints of poetry would
not allow lengthy explanations. Yet, this immortal poem, must be retold. For
along with the lyricism and the innocence that is the spirit of this poem, it
holds a window to the foundations of the civilization in which Tagore grew and
flourished. Indeed, how he, like millions before and after him, had been
brought up listening to the same fairy tales in the rain swept plains of
Bengal.
The repeating end lines of every stanza
are actually the first lines of a memorable Bengali children’s rhyme. I can no
longer name the author – it most certainly pre-dates Sukumar Roy, the most
illustrated creator of Bengali rhymes. It is also probably one of the most
popular among the vast anthology of rhymes in Bengali literature. It tells the
tale of the wedding of Lord Shiva to three maidens. Like all rhymes, this one
also does not need a critical dissertation of content and structure. Like all
rhymes, it was meant to be fun to recite and easy to learn. Its association to
the rains is what is probably most endearing.
There is also a reference to
Abanindranath Tagore’s “Khirer Putul” (ক্ষীরের পুতুল) –
literally, The Sugar Doll. This acclaimed and popular fairy tale tells the
story of the king of Deepnagar and his two queens – Duo and Suo (referred as
Duorani and Suorani, or Duo Queen and Suo Queen). Suo is pampered, while Duo is
neglected. Suo is envious and wicked, while Duo is the epitome of virtue. How
justice is delivered and Duo gets her due is the essence of this fairy tale.
Finally, there is a reference to a
children’s fantasy novel – Kankabati by Trailokyanath Mukhopadhyay. Retold as a
fantasy dream, (similar to Alice in Wonderland) it tells the story of the
protagonist Kankabati, the tragedy of her separation and her relentless quest
for her betrothed.
In this poem, Tagore has brought to
life the joyous memories of the rainy days from his boyhood. To this day, it
remains one of the most popular of all his poems. Like always, the original is
included below for those who are conversant with the Bengali script.
দিনের আলো নিবে এল,
সুয্যি ডোবে-ডোবে।
আকাশ ঘিরে মেঘ জুটেছে
চাঁদের লোভে লোভে।
মেঘের উপর মেঘ করেছে--
রঙের উপর রঙ,
মন্দিরেতে কাঁসর ঘন্টা।
বাজল ঠঙ ঠঙ।
ও পারেতে বিষ্টি এল,
ঝাপসা গাছপালা।
এ পারেতে মেঘের মাথায়
একশো মানিক জ্বালা।
বাদলা হাওয়ায় মনে পড়ে
ছেলেবেলার গান--
"বিষ্টি পড়ে টাপুর টুপুর,
নদেয় এল বান।'
আকাশ জুড়ে মেঘের খেলা,
কোথায় বা সীমানা!
দেশে দেশে খেলে বেড়ায়,
কেউ করে না মানা।
কত নতুন ফুলের বনে
বিষ্টি দিয়ে যায়,
পলে পলে নতুন খেলা
কোথায় ভেবে পায়।
মেঘের খেলা দেখে কত
খেলা পড়ে মনে,
কত দিনের নুকোচুরি
কত ঘরের কোণে।
তারি সঙ্গে মনে পড়ে
ছেলেবেলার গান --
"বিষ্টি পড়ে টাপুর টুপুর,
নদেয় এল বান।'
মনে পড়ে ঘরটি আলো
মায়ের হাসিমুখ,
মনে পড়ে মেঘের ডাকে
গুরুগুরু বুক।
বিছানাটির একটি পাশে
ঘুমিয়ে আছে খোকা,
মায়ের 'পরে দৌরাত্মি সে
না যায় লেখাজোখা।
ঘরেতে দুরন্ত ছেলে
করে দাপাদাপি,
বাইরেতে মেঘ ডেকে ওঠে --
সৃষ্টি ওঠে কাঁপি।
মনে পড়ে মায়ের মুখে
শুনেছিলেম গান --
"বিষ্টি পড়ে টাপুর টুপুর,
নদেয় এল বান।
মনে পড়ে সুয়োরানী
দুয়োরানীর কথা,
মনে পড়ে অভিমানী
কঙ্কাবতীর ব্যথা।
মনে পড়ে ঘরের কোণে
মিটিমিটি আলো,
একটা দিকের দেয়ালেতে
ছায়া কালো কালো।
বাইরে কেবল জলের শব্দ
ঝুপ্ ঝুপ্ ঝুপ্ --
দস্যি ছেলে গল্প শোনে
একেবারে চুপ।
তারি সঙ্গে মনে পড়ে
মেঘলা দিনের গান
--
"বিষ্টি পড়ে টাপুর টুপুর,
নদেয় এল বান।'
কবে বিষ্টি পড়েছিল,
বান এল সে কোথা।
শিবঠাকুরের বিয়ে হল,
কবেকার সে কথা।
সেদিনও কি এম্নিতরো
মেঘের ঘটাখানা।
থেকে থেকে বাজ বিজুলি
দিচ্ছিল কি হানা।
তিন কন্যে বিয়ে ক'রে
কী হল তার শেষে।
না জানি কোন্ নদীর ধারে,
না জানি কোন্ দেশে,
কোন্ ছেলেরে ঘুম পাড়াতে
কে গাহিল গান --
"বিষ্টি পড়ে টাপুর টুপুর,
নদেয় এল বান।'
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