Contextualising the ‘social’: Reading Bhimnath Babu and Milton

It is argued that Milton’s Paradise Lost used literature as a medium of expression, Milton intentionally wrote Paradise Lost as a political poem, in which, by re-writing the Biblical story of the Creation, the fall of Satan and the fall of Adam and Eve, he created a strong political subtext which reflected and resonated with the social and political panorama of England of his time. In Maithili literature, village as a lost paradise is a recurring theme. Is it just a loss of a social-cultural or that अनभुआर होइत गाम has a larger political ramification too laddened with literary allegories? Why writings in vernacular should be slotted for a restrictive, compulsive social examination only? Below is the translation of a hugely respected, sahitya akademi awardee’s poem and original in Maithili.

भीमनाथ झा

Our lost paradise (my unfamiliar village)

On the village’s Maricha farmlands

Towards Navipokhari pond’s edge

That lay towards the Jhaukathi orchards

Towards Sacred Bankuba baba’s old tree

Be it biting cold or tiring humidity

In pouring rain or in gentle spring breeze

The herdsman grazing his buffalo since before dawn

Sitting on its back or caressing its backbone

Would sing his happy songs in his unique style.

He would stop for awhile

Let the cattle free to graze around

And melodiously sing songs of love

Then stop again

Herding the goats & sheep

He would sing out the poet’s signature

And stop again.

A grown up with the hoe on his shoulder

And/or an elderly with spades tucked away

Would sing of Alha-Udal or Laila-Majnu

Or a gypsy’s lullaby or a poem by Dinabhdra

Or a story from the epic Rai Ranpal.

When I would hear this with my own ears

And I am telling you the truth

I would feel that

Mother nature has picked up the tunes herself and joined in.

From every dalaan (verndah) or khalihan (barn)

Be it the sikki grass mat or the collage rag

the roughest or the torn ones

All the mats would resonate with the

Repeated sounds of the students

Memorizing their lesson through rote verbalisation

Whenever these sounds would reach my ears, morning or evening

To tell you the truth

I would feel Mother Saraswati (Goddess)

Is blessing the kids foreheads

with her personal caresses.

At every door or any roundabout

At the Goddess’s temple or public platform

Be it the school grounds

Or Khadi Bhandar’s corridoors

Or the village markets

At the hospital

Or the youth organisation office

By the time of evening

On some mat or at any pleasure place

All the villagers

From all over

Far and near

All kinds, all types

Grandkids to grandfathers

Somewhere strongly presenting their thoughts

Or somewhere purely gossiping with force

Somewhere in pensive mood

Or somewhere laughter would boom

Somewhere there would be deep discussion

Somewhere poetry and its analysis

The swelling mirth and laughter of

Living in the moment

When I would see my community and people

To tell you the truth

I would feel

As if life itself gently engulfs the village

Like falling Parijat flowers all across.

My village resonated with

the emerging sounds of infants

merging with the immortal songs of poets Vidyapati-Madhup_Ravindra

When I drank of these

Truth be told

I would feel

Ma Sharda (Goddess) has herself immersed in the tunes.

In my village

Whosoever I saw

Whomsoever I spoke with

Be it Gonu baba or Jayanandan baba

A young Kisnu babu or Baldev babu

Bhullu babu or Kullu babu

Jibcha or Kisunma

Everone had empathy

Everywhere there was loving feel

Everywhere a maternal love

Wherever you went, you got the same

Truth be told

That emotion and empathy

Felt like everyone opened their doors

Lovingly for me.

My village is the same today

My house, household, my place is the same

As is everyone else’s home, aangan (courtyard)

The same doors, same dalaan (verandah)

Even today one can hear the songs in the morning and evening

Coming from the Maricha farmlands,

The Bankuna baba’s side

Even today resonates the students rote learning

From across the barns

Even today they gather grandchildren and grandfathers

(some leaping, some reluctant)

Even today one can hear from many homes

The songs of Vidyapati-Madhup

Even today many people as for my well-being,

But truth be told

I don’t find in those voices

Now any free flowing simplicity

I search deep within the hearts

of folks I meet

But the lotus has withered.

Even today, the village booms with the sounds of drums

Of rhythmic beats

But now its tone seems faint and weak

Colors are still part of Holi today

But the faces of people seem pale and colorless

Spring visits our village even today

But people keep their faces wrapped up

Courteous folks still ask about your well-being

But their wandering eyes give them away

The faces seem familiar no doubt

But my village seems unfamiliar today.

IIअपन गाम अनभुआरII

अपन गामक मरिचा बाध

कि झौआकोठि गाछी दिस

नवीपोखरिक मोहार

कि बनकुबा बबाक थान दिस

जाड़-ठार पड़ौ कि होउ गुमकी-झरकी

उमड़ि अबौ मेघ कि रमकौ वासन्ती सिहकी

अहलभोरेसँ पसर चरबैत

मासिक पीठपर बैसल कि ओकर रीढ़क चमड़ी बकुटने लम्बमान भेल चरबाह

अलबेला स्वरमे संगीत-संधान करै छल ।

कने थमिक’-

मायाजालकें चर’ ले’ अनेरे छोड़ि दैत

आ मचलैत किशोर दल उन्मुक्त तान टेरै छल

फेर कने थमिक-

छागर-पाठी हँकैत टेल्ह सभ

अनायासे कोनो भनिता धs लइ छल ।

फेर कने थमिक-

कोनो प्रौढ़

धयने कान्हपर कोदारि आ कोनो बूढ़

छिट्टा-खुरपीकें माथपर उघने चलैत

आल्हा-ऊदल कि लैला-मजनू

कि लोरिक बनिजारा कि दीनाभद्री

कि राय रनपाल-महागाथाक टुकड़ी अलापै छल ।

अपन कानसँ ई सभ सुनैत रही जहिया

तँ सत्ते कहै छी

बुझि पड़य हमरा

साक्षात् प्रकृति जेना अपनहिसँ भास उठा लेने होथि !

अपन गामक ओहि दलानसँ कि ओहि खरिहानसँ सितलपाटीपर कि खिनहरि-चटगुन्नीपर

खजुरपटियापर कि फटलाहा सपटापर

घोद-मोद बैसल चटिया सभक

खाँत रटैत कि ककहरा घोखैत

उठैत अनघोल

जहिया साँझ-प्रात कानमे पड़ैत रहय

तं सत्ते कहै छी

बुझि पड़य हमरा

ममतामयी सरस्वती नेना सभक चानि

जेना अपनहिसँ सोहरा रहलि छथिन !

अपन गामक

ओहि दरबज्जापर कि ओहि गोलापर

भगवती थानक ओहि चबुतरापर

कि स्कूलक ओहि मैदान मे

खादी भंडारक ओसारपर

कि चौकक दोकानमे

अस्पतालक आगाॅमे

कि युवक संघक अङनैमे

तेसर पहर दिन झुकिते

सतरंजक स’हपर कि कोनो गुलछर्राक तऽहपर

गाम भरिक सभ फरिक

सभ तूरक

लग-दूरक

सभ भाँतिक, सभ कांतिक

नातिसँ लऽकऽ नाना धरि

कतहु क्यों अपनी बात पर जोर दैत

तँ कतहु खाँटी गप्पक बोर दैत

कतहु क्यों एकान्ती करैत

तँ कतहुसँ ठहक्का उठैत

कतहु विचार-चिन्तन चलैत

तँ कतहु काव्यचर्चा होइत

उमडैत हास-उल्लासक मानसरोवरमे

अवगाहन करैत

अपन समाज के देखैत रही जहिया

तँ सत्ते कहै छी

बुझि पड़य हमरा

जेना गाम भरिक आबेशक गाछक सिङरहार

तुबि-तुबिकऽ झहरै छल !

अपन गाममे

ड्योढ़ीटाटक भीतरसँ अबैत

ललना लोकनिक कंठ-मधुमेह घुलल

विद्यापति-मधुप-रवीन्द्रक गीतामृत

पीबैत रही जहिया

तँ सत्ते कहै छी

बुझि पड़य हमरा

सुरमे जेना शारदा अपनहिँ समा गेल होथि !

अपन गाममे

जनिका नजरि पड़य

जनिकेसंगप्प होअय-

रहथु गोनू बाबा कि जयनन्दन बाबा

जवान किसून बाबू कि बलदेव बाबू

भुल्लू बाबू कि कुल्लू बाबू

जिबछा कि किसुनमा…

सभमे आपकता

सभ ठाँ सिनेह-भाव

सर्वत्र ममता…

जेम्हरे जाइ तिम्हरे

जे भेटय सैह

सत्ते कहै छी

ओहि उद्गार-आपकतामे

बुझि पड़य हमरा जेना ओलोकनि सिनेह-पट

हमरा लेल खोलि देथि !

आइयो अपन गाम अछि वैह

अपन डीह-डाबर अपन धाम अछि वैह

ओहिना सभक घर-आङन

ओहिना दरबज्जा, ओहिना दलान

आइयो लगैत अछि मरिचासँ

बनकूबा बबाक थानसँ

ओहनाहे स्वर-संधान भोर-साँझ

आइयो गुंजैत अछि खरिहानपर

चटिया सभक ककहरा-पाठ

आइयो भगवती थानमे

जुटैत अछि नानासँ नाति धरि

(क्यो छरपैत तँ क्यो ठेंगा टेकैत)

आइयो अबैत अछि

कतोक आङनसँ

विद्यापति-मधुपक गुंजन

आइयो कतेको गोटे हमरासँ पुछैत अछि

कुशल-क्षेम

हाल-चाल

मुदा सत्ते कहै छी आइ एहि वाणीमे

भेटैए कत्तौ नहि कनियों मुक्त हास आब

दूर-दूर धरि हृदय-सरितामे तकैत छी

गोट-गोट लोकक

-कमल मुदा मौलायल !

आइयो अपन गाममे

ढोलपर, डम्फापर थाप तँ पड़िते अछि

मुदा आबे ओकर स्वर

जेना बिरस-बिरस बुझाइए !

रंग तँ आइयो खेलायले जाइत अछि

आब मुदा लोकक मुँह

अरे ! बेदरंग भऽ जाइ छैक !

वसन्त अपन गाममे तँ आइयो करैत अछि

मुदा सलगासँ मुँह लोक झपनहिँ रहैत अछि !

कुशल-क्षेम पुछनिहार

आइयो भेटैत अछि

मुद्रा आँख के पुतरी ओकर कोनादन नचैत छैक !

लोकक चेहरा तँ चीन्हल बुझि पड़ैए

आइ अपन गामे मुदा अनभुआर लगैत अछि !

प्रो. भीमनाथ झा

(20.2.1987)