Translation
One early morning resonant with the call of peacocks,
Who is it who came with anklets on his feet
With the sweet strums of a hundred delightful viińás,
Enrobing his body with the lustre of rain-clouds?
Tála/palm and tamála/bay leaf trees
have adorned themselves in new forms.
Niipa/kadamba/burflower
bowers beamed with fragrance.
Daubed with ketakii/screwpine pollen,
the cooling breeze
Floats away into the distant blue.
Frogs frolic in joy today.
What is it that the júthiká/jasmine flowers
seem to whisper to them?
Time and again, at whom does the bashful
káminii/orange jasmine
Gaze, exuding sweet scent?
Translated from Bengali
Latin Sanskrit
KEKÁ-KALARAVA MUKHARITA PRÁTE
KE GO ELE NÚPURA PÁ’Y,
SHATA VIIŃÁNANDITA MADHURA NIKKANE
JALADER CHAT́Á MEKHE’ GÁ’Y.
TÁLII-TAMÁLERÁ ÁJ NAVA RÚPE SEJECHE
NIIPA-NIKUIṊJA SUVÁSE HESECHE,
SNIGDHA SAMIIRAŃA KETAKIIPARÁGA MÁKHI’
DÚR NIILIMÁY BHESE’ JÁY.
DARDURERÁ ÁJ ÁNANDE METECHE
JÚTHIKÁRÁ TÁR SANE KII JENO KII KAHICHE,
SALÁJA KÁMINII PHUL SUGANDHA CHAŔÁYE
KÁR PÁNE BÁRE BÁRE CÁY.
15-11-1982