Our Little River
Written by Rabindranath Tagore, translated by Sahana Bar
That little river of ours, gorges through a winding path,
In the month of Baisakh, it’s water, deep enough for a knee bath.
Cows navigate through it, and so does the cart,
The banks are high and its steep slopes are a part.
The sand glitters, no mud to be seen,
On one side the Kashban is suffused with white flowers, among the green.
Alongside these, the flock of Mynas chirp away,
The foxes howl through the night and grey.
On both banks, the Mangroves and Palm forests arise,
Bamun Para of that village, under their shade resides.
By and by, boys and girls turn up for a bath,
They fill their gamcha, and pour water from its slath.
Mornings and afternoons, when they bathe,
The aanchal is strained in the water and small fishes are caught.
They rinse the plates with its sand, and the bowls as well,
The wives wash their clothes, and do their chores as they dwell.
Ashadha is heralded by the dark clouds, the water at its neck,
The river speeds into an intense trek.
The gurgling keeps getting louder, louder and louder,
Silt is transported along the twirling waves whirling wider.
The forests on each bank silently awaits,
The monsoon, a festival where the colony wakes up to celebrate.
FOOTNOTES:
Baisakh – The second month according to a Bengali Calendar.
Kashban – Wild sugarcane in Bengali language.
Bamun Para – A traditional name provided to a fictional place. ‘Bamun’ is the name and ‘Para’ means colony.
Gamcha – A traditional cloth made of coarse cotton, used as a towel.
Aanchal – The decorated end of a Saree. A saree is a traditional Indian costume, where a single, long piece of cloth is draped around the body, in various styles.
Ashadha – A month in the traditional Hindu calendar, corresponding to July/August.