People of Vraja:
With hearts restless,
we’ve come to have Krśńa’s darshan*,
with much hardship, with much hope,
to adorn him with care, with ábiira and kumkum**,
to feed him rice pudding
and butter to [his] complete satisfaction.

Krśńa:
I remain really busy with various matters.
There’s no time to accept ábiira and kumkum.
Minister, tell them,
make them understand [my predicament]
so that they may return to the land of Vraja.

People of Vraja:
He’s burnt us he’s burnt us,
he’s burnt us he’s burnt us.
he’s extinguished our hopes***.
Awash with tears, adrift from the shore,
we’re now returning to Gokul
to busy ourselves with your work.

* Darshan means the act of seeing
* and being seen by the Lord.
** Ábiira is a fragrant red powder
used during festivals, particularly Holi,
to smear on the faces and hands of family
and friends. Kumkum is vermillion,
and is used to make a red mark on the forehead.
*** In Bangla, the literal phrase is
“he has dumped ash over our hopes.”

VRAJAVÁSII:
KRŚŃA-DARASHANE VYÁKULA PARÁŃE
ESECHI BAHU KLESHE BAHU ÁSHE,
ÁBIIRA-KUMKUME SÁJÁTE JATANE
KHÁOYÁTE KŚIIR-NANII PARITOŚE.

KRŚŃA:
NÁNÁVIDHA KÁJE VYASTA RAYECHI JE
SAMAY NÁHI NITE ÁBIIRA-KUMKUME,
MANTRI BALE DÁO ODERA BOJHÁO
ORÁ JENA PHIRE JÁY VRAJABHÚME.

VRAJAVÁSII:
DAHILE DAHILE DAHILE DAHILE
DAHILE DAHILE MODERA DAHILE,
CHÁI D́HELE’ DILE SAB ÁSHÁ MÁJHE.
ÁṊKHIJALE VAYE KÚLAHÁRÁ HAYE
CALECHI GOKULE LÁGITE TABA KÁJE.

25-01-1983