listen here: (x)
poet: arun chakraborty
language: bengali (jhumoor)
painting: praween karmakar
Note (tw death ideation): the song was written by the poet after seeing a barren shimul [red cotton] tree on the banks of a river in a time where it should have been bursting with flowers. So, he imagined it belonged to the barren red soil landscapes of Bengal's foothills. He imposes an anthropomorphic image onto the tree which makes for a darker narrative as the poet brings up calls to death in the interludes.
Laal-paahaari'r deshe jaa,
Go to the land of the red hills [like Purulia],
Raanga-maati'r deshe jaa,
Go to the land of red soil [Raktamrittika/Rangamati is also a historical town],
[H]ekhaan tore maanaise na go,
Here doesn't suit you, go,
Ikkebaare maanaise nai go.
Here doesn't suit you at all.
Aare okhaan gele maadol paabi,
Hey, if you go there you'll get [the sounds of] the maadol drums,
Meye mawrod'er aador paabi,
[And] the affections of both women and men,
Morbi, tui more jaa!
You'll die, go die!
Ikkebaare more jaa!
Go absolutely die!
Aare nodi'r dhaare shimul'er phool,
Hey, beside the river [there should be] red cotton flowers [on the tree],
Naana paakhi'r baasha re.
Home to many birds.
Kaal shawkaal'e phutibe phool,
Maybe the flowers would have bloomed the next morning,
Mone chhilo aasha re.
So I had hoped.
Tui bhalobeshe chole geli,
You loved me and then left,
Kaymon baap'er bayte re tui?
Which father's son are you [derogatory implication]?
Morbi, tui more jaa!
You'll die, go die!
Ikkebaare more jaa!
Go absolutely die!
