Ack deen Raatey Aami shopno dekhinu,One night I had A Dream by Tagore translation by Ranu

One night I had a dream

‘Look’  ‘look’ Binu was saying.

I look out and what do I see a mutual beating of the batten and the beams,

Kolikata is shaking and moving about.

The huge brick houses are moving straight,

the doors and windows are noisy and looking great.

The road is slithering like a huge serpent,

on its back the tram and the vehicles are advancing boom boom.

The shops and the bazaar go up and down,

The roofs are knocking each other dead.

Howrah bridge the massive scorpion is moving with its might,

Harrison road is going close  behind it.

The monument looks like a crazy elephant’s trunk

English: A female African Bush Elephant raises her trunk as a warning sign in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

waving its snout in the empty sky.

Our school is speeding in a hurry,

the math book runs so does grammar.

The maps on the walls are getting restless and fidgety,

Birds seem to flap their wings with authority.

The bell keeps swinging,ding dong ding dong___

thousands of people say wait,wait,wait,

where will we go from where,this is truly crazy!

Kolikata is not listening it’s in a frenzy,

her intoxication of dancing is visible on pillars and walls.

I think ,there is nothing to worry,

let Kolikata go straight to Mumbai.

Dilli can go to Lahore, and Agra too__

I will wear a Pugree on my head and Nagra on my feet.

But if it goes off today to London instead

the Brits will be visible in boots,jackets and hats.

When I woke up suddenly by some noise,

I see Kolikata hasn’t gone anywhere  boys.

D.P Daily Prompt:Odd Couple Posted by Ranu

housekeeping (Photo credit: pucci.it)

Anything,any place that’s messy makes me anxious and  cranky. When my home is messy,watch out,I am so angry ,I don’t see straight . I have  as my husband put it,O.C.D( obsessive compulsive disorder).Whatever my family thinks I have,I cannot relax until I clean up and straighten up everything.This is how I defend myself,don’t you think everything looks fabulous when things are squeaky clean.I go about my business of making the beds,dusting the furniture,cleaning the bathroom,Vacuuming the rooms.When things are in order,I sit down and look around and am quite pleased with my efforts.

Before the company comes,I make sure everything is in top shape. I don’t want to be called untidy. One of the things that irritates me the most,is a sink full of dirty dishes in the kitchen. I cannot feel at ease until the dishes are washed,dried and put in their respective cupboards. Why should anyone say I have O.C.D,I only try to have a clean and orderly home.

When I wash the chicken after cutting the pieces,I wash them few times,I see vegetables in the super market on the shelves,I bring them home and after cutting them I wash them.I wash the fresh vegetables thoroughly,unless they are in a clean bag with the sign pre-washed.I don’t think I have any kind of disorder,I am careful. In school I tell the kids to wash their hands,before they eat.It’s a healthy habit ,don’t you think?

D.P. Daily Prompt: Five A Day posted by Ranu

Uncooked, polished, white long-grain rice grains (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

I am exiled to a private island,I am allowed five foods daily.Food is not what  comes to my mind. I am thinking why am I here in this island and for how long? Of course food is one of the most important thing a human being will think about just to survive.

 

These captors seems to me are very considerate.They are actually giving me a choice of five foods I can pick for my daily consumption. There is something odd about this whole thing. Anyway while I am thinking what can I pick,one of the captors  a big burly fellow who seems to have little or no patience ,gives me an evil look.While all the others have made their choice,I am the only one still trying to make up my mind. He takes his whip and hits me and says: “woman you have taken enough time, tell me at once what you want or you’ll get nothing to eat”.  This scares me a little,suddenly I have a mental block,I cannot think of anything.I get a second warning,’you have five minutes to decide’ I get anxious and spit out five foods ever so quickly,’I want tea,okra,egg plant, guava and rice’. The man gets impatient,’are you sure this is what you want’? I say,”yes, besides you only gave me five minutes and my brain is in knots.I cannot think .” After making my choice known I began to feel terrible.I wish I could think of more appealing foods than the ones I listed. It was time for breakfast,I noticed the others were having mouth-watering food and I was served tea and guava.I do like guava, but not for breakfast. The evil man came around to watch us eat,he noticed I was sitting quietly.Immediately he bawled and said,’ Why aren’t you eating, you got what you wanted,I’ll give you two minutes to finish your food? I felt like crying, I knew it was not going to make a dent in his system. I did what I had to do,drank my tea and ate the guava which was hard and green and totally bland.

 

I didn’t look forward for lunch,my choice was either okra ,rice or egg plant,out of the three rice was fine but out of egg plant and okra ,my fear was how are they going to cook it,do they know how to cook these vegetables. I didn’t have to wait too long,my lunch was rice and okra.The cook never saw okra before,he had no idea how to cook it.He took the easy way out,he boiled the okra. I was served sticky boiled okra with rice. Okra is a vegetable which is prepared with special care,it requires spices,oil  onion and salt,if you want to eat it with rice.This was beginning to be a nightmare for me.To avoid being bawled at or whipped by the giant,I slowly started swallowing the food.This was worse than medicine.

 

I knew what was left for me to eat for supper.I sat on the floor of the room and began to visualize what I want for supper.I would like some beef biriyani, a cucumber salad and for dessert a slice of cheesecake and water.I felt sleepy and went to sleep on the floor.I dreamt I was in a large dining hall,there were all kinds of food for us to eat.The waiter to my dismay brought me a large purple eggplant on a plate and handed it to me. I immediately screamed and told him to take it away,’I am not going to eat this useless thing’,I said.Suddenly I heard a thundering voice,’Yes you are,this is your choice.’ I slowly opened my eyes and saw him standing on top of me and pointing at the egg plant he said,’now eat’. This time I could not control my tears, I said ,’Oh God please don’t punish me,I’ll try to be a good person’. The whole five a day seemed to be a test for me.

 

Guava fruit on white background (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

Eggplant (Photo credit: AsianLifestyleDesign)

 

 

Bucket of raw Abelmoschus esculentus (okra) pods (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Daily Post, Daily Prompt: Trading Places

I cannot recall ever wondering, what it would be like to be a member of the opposite sex for a day. I grew up with several brothers. I was not very thrilled to watch, how each one behaved. I thought to them it’s me first and forget about the rest.Then the time came when my eldest brother  tied the knot. It was dreadful ,he gave us the impression it was he and his better half and the rest of them can get lost. It was so unbearable,my eldest sister made me aware of the famous words,”A son is a son,till he gets a wife; a daughter is a daughter all her life”.

It is interesting to note that now I am given a chance to trade places. Life certainly will not be a ‘Bed of Roses’,I think. I’ll assume  to be the the eldest in the family. There will be constant nagging from the wife,complaining about the sisters,younger brothers and the mother-in-law. My mother is making her cook and do the dishes.My sisters do their own thing and ignores the wife. Mom is always reminding me of my responsibilities towards the family,because I am the eldest. I have to be more sympathetic towards  the spouse or she will make my life miserable. So if she complains about the sisters,immediately I’ll have to take them to task,to keep the wife happy.If she refuses to cook,I’ll have to volunteer to cook,to make her happy. Mom in the meantime will be watching, how I am doing as a son,brother,and a husband. I am not doing a good job.I am only trying to be nice to the spouse and in doing so I have made others angry.

By trading places I can visualize how difficult it is to maintain peace and tranquility in my domestic life. Just by writing this I have learned how difficult the life of a male member is. ‘Hey I am elated I do not have to deal with it daily.So dear brother I don’t want to be in your shoes.’

Daily Prompt—Daily Post :Happy,Happy,Joy,Joy Posted by Ranu

Rabindranath Tagore (Photo credit: Cea.)

As human beings we cry more than we laugh,probably it’s our habit, we do not appreciate the things we get and never think about them,we tend to think it is our right and it is not that big a deal,when we receive something. So when the question arises when was the last time I was deliriously happy,I had to go inside my brain to find out.

I was requested by a friend of mine to translate Tagore’s poem. This was something I did not try,because I was not confident and also afraid I might make a mess of it.At the same time I was not ready to admit I could not do it.

I leafed through the pages of Tagore’s collection of poems and spotted one that seemed one I could dare to try:

The title is:  “Remember” by Tagore

I do not have any recollection of my mother.

only when I go out to play I hear a tune ringing in my ears,

the sound mixes with my mother’s words in the middle of my game.

I wonder did my mother sing while rocking my swing___

My mother is no longer here,but she did not forget to leave her song .

I do not remember my mother.

In  early morning in September the white flowers in the garden,

are swayed by the wind which  spread their scent wet with dew;

why does my mother’s words echo in my mind;

perhaps my mother’s scent and the  basket of flowers came into contact ,

with the scent of Pooja  flowers and came to me.

I only remember my mother when I sit in the corner of my bedroom;

and I look at the sky,instantly I feel my mother is looking at me;

she left her look all over the sky to remind me of her presence.

When I completed the translation,I published it. My friend’s comment was very generous and his comment gave me the feeling,he has read the Bengali version.The truth is he is not a Bengali.Therefore I was proud and happy that my first attempt was okay.I translated it in October  2012.It was a memorable day for me,my joy knew no bounds,I was very happy after a long time.

Superstition posted by Ranu

Superstition is an irrational belief or practice resulting from ignorance. The other day I watched a movie in which a woman died of childbirth.No one tried to find out why the woman died,their belief was she died because the girl born to this woman,is unlucky.There are many causes of death in childbirth,the process of delivery,the physician who looked after could have done something wrong.The woman had some kind of disease like cancer.Nothing was taken into account,but the friends,families and neighbours of the deceased immediately blamed the baby girl,they were certain she was unlucky.The result was she and her father were ostracized. No one visited them.The poor child could not play with any one.She grew up believing she really was unlucky therefore she should end her life. This kind of belief destroys a person and the family.

I have experienced some superstitious beliefs by my parents.Every morning,my Mom used to wake up and made sure she saw my face first before she prayed and started the chores in the house.

One day my Dad came home from the office.He was furious with our servant because he opened the door and my Dad saw his face first thing in the morning.According to him,everything went wrong in the office.He called me and said, ‘Ma Ranu ,can you open the door in the morning?’ Let me explain about opening the door.During the summer months,because it was exceptionally hot inside the house,we used to take our bed and bedding to sleep in the verandah. All the doors therefore were closed from inside,but there was one door we used to lock from the outside.This was the job of the servant. Anyway I was assigned to open the door,I was considered lucky,so who better to be in-charge of the door,but me.

Not that I minded doing this easy chore,but it was getting ridiculous.My younger sister wrote her high school exams,the results were due to come out the following morning. She wanted to see my face when she woke up.My sister was a terrible student,I knew there is no way she is going to pass the exam. and she would blame me,I seriously prayed and asked God to help me. Talk about ‘Divine ‘ help I could not believe how things turned out for me. For some very important reason I had to go to Dhaka.I wasn’t home when the results came out. My sister failed,she couldn’t blame me for her failure.I thanked God for His help.

Daily Prompt: Judgment Day Posted by Ranu

If I were to judge my favourite book by its cover, will I still read it? Yes I will,the cover of a book,makes no difference to me.I pick books by the title and not cover. Recently I read Paulo Coelho’s book,’The Alchemist’,I didn’t even look at the cover.Out of curiosity I took out the book again and looked at the cover.The design is nothing out of the ordinary, there is nothing on it that can make me even a little eager to find out what it is about.The title certainly attracted my attention.I started reading the book and did not stop until I was finished.This is the type of book I will read several times.

Another book that caught my attention,was ,’Proof of Heaven’.This one is written by a neurologist.I could not put it down until I read the whole book. I am embarrassed to admit,I didn’t even look at the cover.I read the title and bought the book.What I am trying to say is,’I do not judge a book by its cover.”

Reading Proof of Heaven, Dr. Eben Alexander’s near death experience (Photo credit: Lost A Sock)

Daily Prompt: Deja Vu Posted by Ranu

Deja Vu from French ,literally “already seen”is the phenomenon of having a strong sensation that an event or experience currently being experienced has been experienced in the past. I racked my brain to see if I was exposed to such an experience.The result that comes out time after time is no I didn’t. The only thing that resembles ever so slightly,is once I dreamt a group of people coming up the hill to our house.Next morning sure enough I experienced the same thing.When I think about it,it doesn’t have any similarity that can be called,Deja Vu.

When I read the Daily Prompt,the thought entered my mind is,it sounds like reincarnation.When a person is born again and remembers the events that happened in their life before.Not exactly the same things are repeated but they recognize the people and the place,they had seen before.

I had the experience of a dream about my cat J.D after she died,she was healthy and her coat was beautiful and shiny, of my husband who seemed to be in a hurry and wanted me to go with him .This was also a dream,but it is not what the requirement is. So I might as well be truthful and write, ‘No I did not experience ,Deja Vu.

Daily Prompt: Idyllic posted by ranu

My ideal community is a beautiful place.

Garden full of flowers for everyone to see,

children in colourful attire dancing with glee.

Hunger and homelessness is unknown here,

the citizens are busy spreading the cheer.

If you want to see this wonderful place,

come one,come all to our wide open space.

Our young and old are here to greet you,

why not check it out won’t you.

Our roads and streets are safe and serene,

we are making sure our community is green.

There is no scattered litter in our town I swear,

the workers are always there to take care.

Our Mayor works hard to keep the government running,

his looks are scary,but his work is stunning.

I challenge you all to find me a place,

full of contented people who are occupying our community’s space.

Amar phool baganer phoolgulikey My flower garden,by Tagore, translation–Ranu

Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel prize for literature. It is the first Nobel prize won by Asia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The flowers in my garden,will not be tied today__

leave the colourful threads,

let the gold and silver tassels remain where they are.

Hearing this the family asks,

‘if they are not tied

how will we hold them__

or decorate our vases?’

I reply,

‘today they are on leave like the dancers,

their laughter is uncontrolled,

movement is disorderly

in the woods in the late afternoon,

of the last month of the Bengali calendar.

watch their playful games,

listen to their sweet and low indistinct sound,

and be happy.’

My friend exclaimed,

‘I came to your house

thirsty to drink a whole cup ,

you like a crazy person replied,

today I have broken

that old plain cup!

Why are you not playing the perfect host?’

I tell ,’let’s go to the fountain,

the current is flowing according to its pleasure__

some are wide ,some narrow.

some are flowing from peak to peak,

others are hiding in the cave.

In between there are bulky stones

stopping the stream from flowing like an age old bandit,

sometimes the root of the tree

spreads its fingers like a beggar__

whom do they want to catch in the glistening water!’

The people of the committee say ,

‘this is your untied pigtail’s message__

where did the imprisoned one go?’

I replied,’you will not recognize her today;

her seven strand necklace has lost its shine,

there is no spark in her bracelets set in ruby.’

They said ,then why are we after her?

what can we get from her?’

I said ,’whatever we can  get  from the flower tree and the branches mixed together.

from the leaves we can see the colours,

we get the scent from the blowing breeze.

The open air from all sides gives a feeling of intoxication.

they are not there for you to hold in your hands,

but to know  them

without any attachment

in their  own surrounding.’