Triveni Journal
1927 | 11,233,916 words
Triveni is a journal dedicated to ancient Indian culture, history, philosophy, art, spirituality, music and all sorts of literature. Triveni was founded at Madras in 1927 and since that time various authors have donated their creativity in the form of articles, covering many aspects of public life....
"Bride, Speak"
BY KALIPADA MUKHERJEE 1
(Translated from the original Bengali poem by the author)
When she was with me, the bird did not sing:
But, now that she is gone, it sings throughout the whole morning.
"Bride, speak." It sings, as if coaxingly to a girl in the sulks.
And the separated one in the inmost recesses of my heart is put to the blush!
This morning is many-coloured with the wings of birds, and
is also sweet with the songs of the cuckoo.
And in the midst of all, the bird calls�..no one knows
from where……for I cannot see it even for a moment.
Is it then like a star sitting on a branch of the sky?
Like a �siddha,�2 it whisks at times through the air, at great
speed even like a bird of dream;
And it raises dreams in the mind!
It awakens dreams of youth: its song inspires new youth in the heart.
And its tuneful soul tells me what a darling is my love,
and how cherished a jewel she is!
1
The bird gets its name ‘Bou Katha Kau� from its peculiar call which means ‘Bride, speak.� It is a rare bird: its sweet voice is heard in some parts of Bengal in the summer and rainy seasons.2
Siddha: God-like supernatural being