Tagore trans.: Sajani sajani Radhika lo dekh abhooN chahiya

Arindam Banerjee

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Nov 24, 1997, 3:00:00 AM11/24/97

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Like a blinding flash, Divine Grace can utterly transform human lives....

Sajani sajani radhika lo dekh abhooN chahiya...

Radhika, o Radhika, dear my friend, look now, lo!
Comes Shyam, with gentle gait, gentle song, so
Make haste! This garland, this blue veil, don
O great beauty! Sindoor do you, now, put on -
Colour your siNthi, with red, blood-red!
Friends all! Let's dance with joyous tread
And sing songs of union, songs that are gay!
Ring notes restless, anklets, never stop, pray!

This lonely grove, brilliant with lamps of gold
Perfume, friends, with spray of scents dear sold.
Girl! Pick blooms of chameli, beli and mallika.
Thread juthi, thread jati, thread buds of bakula.
With eyes athirst does Arindam look, and say, lo!
Comes Shyam, with gentle gait, gentle song, so!

Arindam Banerjee
(All rights reserved)

I give the the original lyrics below, as they may be understood by
many Hindi-speaking readers. I have tried to maintain the rhythm
in this transcreation (to the form of a Petrarchian sonnet).

Sajani sajani Radhika lo dekh abhooN chahiya
Mridula gamana Shyam aaway mridula gaan gahiya
Pinaha jhatita kusumahaara pinaha neel aangiya
Sundari sindoor daykay siNthi karaha rangiya
Sahachari saba nache-nache milana geet gaayo ray
Chanchala manjira-raba kunjabhavana chhayo ray
Sajani aba ujara mandira kanakadeepa jaliya
Surabhi karaha kunjabhavana gandhasalila dhaliya
Mallika chameli beli kusuma tulaha balika
GaNtha juthi gaNtha jaati gaNth bakulamalika
Trishita nayana BhanuSingha kunjapathama chahiya
Mridula gamana Shyam aaway mridula gaan gahiya

Tagore's lines speak for themselves. Their quality cannot
be matched. I have taken a certain liberty in the English
rendering, for which I ask forgiveness.

Arindam

Disclaimer: My opinions do not involve my employer.

nilanja...@yahoo.co.in

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Sep 25, 2012, 11:38:56 AM9/25/12

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thank you..........

Arindam Banerjee

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Sep 26, 2012, 5:39:27 AM9/26/12

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Thank YOU! Better late than never, what!
Cheers,
Arindam Banerjee

ratna...@chd.banyantree.in

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Dec 2, 2012, 9:32:02 AM12/2/12

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I am the Principal of a Senior Secondary School in Chandigarh. While looking to do a programme I thought of this song as the audience might be able to understand parts of it. I have loved your English transcreation and my children will recite it. We shall give you credit for it as well. Thanks

Arindam Banerjee

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Dec 3, 2012, 6:01:59 AM12/3/12

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> I am the Principal of a Senior Secondary School in Chandigarh. While looking to do a programme I thought of this song as the audience might be able to understand parts of it. I have loved your English transcreation and my children will recite it. We shall give you credit for it as well. Thanks- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Wow, thanks! If you do some googling in the period around 1997-
present you may find more songs that I have translated. I don't think
this is my best.
Cheers,
Arindam Banerjee

deysoum...@gmail.com

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Apr 30, 2017, 11:44:41 AM4/30/17

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Thanks a lot!!!

sr.su...@gmail.com

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Sep 10, 2017, 2:48:31 PM9/10/17

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I m a kathak dancer living in Delh. During choreograph this song the English translation helps me a lot. I can easily translate to my students. Thanks.

debnath...@gmail.com

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Jun 15, 2020, 1:54:03 AM6/15/20

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Thank you so much.i love this song and i was looking for the meaning. Now i can understand the feeling of this song little bi.