Bodh
Aalo – andokhar jai – mathar bitore
Swapno noy, kono ek bodh kaj kore !
Swapno noy – shati noy – bhalobasa noy ,
Hedoyer maje ek bodh jonmo loy !
Ami tare pari na erote
Se amr hath rakhe hate ;
Sob kaj toccho hoe , pondo mone hoy,
Sob chinta – parthona sokol samay
Soono mone hoy,
Soono mone hoy!
Sohoj loker moto ke cholte pare!
Ke thamete pare ae aalo andhare
Sohoj loker moto! Tader moto bhasa katha
Ke bolete pare aar? – kon nischoyata
Ke janete pare aar ? – praner alhad
Sokol loker moto ke pabe abar !
Sokol loker moto beej bune aar
Swad koi ! – fhasoler akankhay theke,
Shorere mateer gondhe meke ,
Shorere joler gondhe meke ,
Utsahe alor deke cheye
Chaser moto pran peye
Ke aar rohebe jege prithibir pore?
Swapno noy – shanti noy, kono ek bodh kaj kore
Mathar bhitore!
Pothe chole pore –parapare
Upekha korete chai tare:
Morar khuler moto dhore
Achar marete chai jibonto mathar motto ghore
Tobu se mathar chare pashe!
Tobu se choker chare pashe!
Tobu se booker chare pashe!
Ami choli , sathe sathe sao chole ase!
Ami thami—
Sao theme jay;
Sokol loker maje bose
Amar nejer mudradose
Ami eka hoteche alada?
Amae chokei shudu dadha?
Amar pothei shudu badha?
Jonmeache jara ae prithebete
Sontaner moto hoe—
Sontaner jommo dete dete
Jahader kete gache anek samay
Kinba aaj sontaner janmo dete hoi
Jahader ; kinba jara prithiber bej khetre asete chole
Jonmo debe — Jonmo debe bole;
Tader hriday aar mathar moto
Amar hridoy na ke? – tahader mon
Amar moner moto na ke?
Tobo kneo amon ekaki?
Tobo ami amon ekaki!
Hate tole dekhe ne ke chaser langal?
Balte ke tani ne ke jol?
Kaste hate kotobar jai ne ke mathe?
Mechoder moto ami koto nadi ghate
Ghuriache;
Pukoor pana shala —ashte gayar ghran gaye
Geyache jorayee;
–aye sob swad
–ae sob payeche ami—bataser moto
Boyeche jiban ,
Nakhatrar tale shue ghumeache moon
Ekdin;
Aye sob swad
Janeache ekdin— obad— ogad;
Chole gheche ehader chere—
Bhalobese dekheache meye manusere
Abohela kore ami dekheache meye manusere,
Grena kore dekeache meye manusere;
Amare se bhalobaseache,
Aceache kache,
Upekha se koreche amare,
Ghrena kore chole geche ghokon dekheche bare bare
Bhalobese tare ;
Tobu o sadhona chelo ekdin – aei bhalobasa;
Ami tar upekkhar basa
Ami atr ghrenar akrosh
Baohela kore geche ; je nokhotro – nokhotrer dose
Amr premer pothe barbar deye geche badha
Ami ta bhuliageche;
Tobu aei bhalobasa—- dhulo ar kada
Mathar bhitore
Swapno noy—prem noy – kono ek bodh kaj
Ami sob debotar chere
Amar praner kache chole asi,
Boli ami aye hridoyere;
Se keno joler moto ghure ghure eka kotha koye?
Abosad nai tar? Nai atr shanteer samay?
Konodeen ghube na? dhere sue thakebar swad
Pabe na ke? Pabe na alhad
Manuser mukhe dekhe konodeen!
Manuser mukhe dekhe konodeen!
Sishu mukhe dekhe konodeen!
Ae bodh –sudhu ae swad
Paye se ke ogad—ogad!
Prithibeer poth chere akasher nokhetrer poth
Chay na se? koreche sapath
Dekhebe se manuser mukh?
Dekhebe se manuser mukh?
Dekhebe se sishudeer mukh?
Chokhe kalo seerar osuk , kane jai bodherota ache ,
Jae kungh – golgond manse folaeche
Nosto sasha – pocha chalkoomror chache,
Je sab hridoye pholeache
–sai sab
Poem
The poem has the power to transport one to the obscure region of one’s being and sensibility beyond the everyday bounds of sense and reason. The poet achieves it characteristically by endowing mystical attributes to mundane everyday objects of nature, especially the ordinary objects that we see in and around Bengal as Bengal was known then in its undivided entity. This rootedness of his imagination and sensibility is what makes the poet and poem more unique. Thus he is different from almost all the modern poets of Bengal. A nature-worshipper, but by no means a platonist or pantheist; he is rather a pagan who loves the things of nature sensuously, not as tokens or symbols, nor as patterns of perfection.
Background
The poet, as we see in the poem, has travelled far and wide, but peace eluded him. The poet singularity lies in his ability to perceive beauty in the unacknowledged and small objects of nature, and in that sense he truly made ordinary Bengal beautiful in the eyes of his readers. It is only when he comes face to face with Banalata Sen, does he feel peace. Jibanananda gives free rein to his imagination illustrated by his travels to ancient and remote places of great beauty and attraction. Yet his quest ultimately brings him back to Bengal, to Banalata Sen. Hence it can be said that Banalata Sen is identified. , yet the images which abound in them are enough to evoke one’s deep-buried memories of Bengal. Even when he describes a woman or a beloved, he draws comparison from nature and uses images which offer a larger-than-life or stranger-than-life impression of the person. Yet he makes sure that the person is situated and identified in the familiar sights and sounds of the soil she belongs to. Hence Banalata Sen belongs to Natore and her eyes are like the nest of a bird. When the poet encounters her, she says, ‘Where have you been so long? It is his innate ability to give a fantastic touch to the so-called commonplace things; it is the ability to perceive the extraordinary in the ordinary; it is the ability to perceive pulsating life in the apparently inanimate; and it is this ability that opens the gateway for him to reach out to the life in nature and thereby to his own substratum. It is this ability that makes Jibanananda a modern poet with a difference.
Structure of the poem
This poem mainly depicts the agony and despair of the poet. The poet has written this poem in a sorrowful state of mind. The poet has beautifully expressed his grief to the reader of losing his beloved person forever. The poet has ornamented this poet very beautifully using several figures of speech like personification, hyperbole etc to enhance the clarity of the poem.
Analysis
‘’Aalo – andokhar jai – mathar bitore
Swapno noy, kono ek bodh kaj kore !
Swapno noy – shati noy – bhalobasa noy ,
Hedoyer maje ek bodh jonmo loy !
Ami tare pari na erote
Se amr hath rakhe hate ;
Sob kaj toccho hoe , pondo mone hoy,
Sob chinta – parthona sokol samay
Soono mone hoy,
Soono mone hoy!’’
The poet here says that inside his heart a sensation is born which he is unable to escape .He is not dreaming but he has some sensation. He thinks that his all thought and his eternal prayer to God seems as empty.
‘’Sohoj loker moto ke cholte pare!
Ke thamete pare ae aalo andhare
Sohoj loker moto! Tader moto bhasa katha
Ke bolete pare aar? – kon nischoyata
Ke janete pare aar ? – praner alhad
Sokol loker moto ke pabe abar !
Sokol loker moto beej bune aar
Swad koi ! – fhasoler akankhay theke,
Shorere mateer gondhe meke ,
Shorere joler gondhe meke ,
Utsahe alor deke cheye
Chaser moto pran peye
Ke aar rohebe jege prithibir pore?
Swapno noy – shanti noy, kono ek bodh kaj kore
Mathar bhitore!’’
The poet hre says that there are are peole those who can lead a very simple life
Like a simple folk but nobody is there to understand them.There are people those who does not know how to rejoice their life in thirst of work. He assumes that he has become a peasant and want to lead life as a peasant. He is not dreaming but has the urge doing so in his mind.
‘’Upekha korete chai tare:
Morar khuler moto dhore
Achar marete chai jibonto mathar motto ghore
Tobu se mathar chare pashe!
Tobu se choker chare pashe!
Tobu se booker chare pashe!
Ami choli , sathe sathe sao chole ase!
Ami thami—
Sao theme jay;’’
The poet here says that he wishes to walk along the beach, or cross from shore to shore but he tries to ignore it. He stops because he wants to smash the dead man skull into the ground but it spins like a living thing and comes with the poet.so the poet stops to walk.
‘’Sokol loker maje bose
Amar nejer mudradose
Ami eka hoteche alada?
Amae chokei shudu dadha?
Amar pothei shudu badha?
Jonmeache jara ae prithebete
Sontaner moto hoe—
Sontaner jommo dete dete
Jahader kete gache anek samay
Kinba aaj sontaner janmo dete hoi
Jahader ; kinba jara prithiber bej khetre asete chole
Jonmo debe — Jonmo debe bole;
Tader hriday aar mathar moto
Amar hridoy na ke? – tahader mon
Amar moner moto na ke?
Tobo kneo amon ekaki?
Tobo ami amon ekaki!
Hate tole dekhe ne ke chaser langal?
Balte ke tani ne ke jol?
Kaste hate kotobar jai ne ke mathe?
Mechoder moto ami koto nadi ghate
Ghuriache;
Pukoor pana shala —ashte gayar ghran gaye
Geyache jorayee;
–aye sob swad
–ae sob payeche ami—bataser moto
Boyeche jiban ,
Nakhatrar tale shue ghumeache moon
Ekdin;
Aye sob swad
Janeache ekdin— obad— ogad;
Chole gheche ehader chere—
Bhalobese dekheache meye manusere
Abohela kore ami dekheache meye manusere,
Grena kore dekeache meye manusere;’’
He poet thinks that as he took place among other beings he becomes enstranged and alone because of his mannerisms he thinks that he has some optical illusions. He questions to himself that is there any obstacle in his path. He says that those who spent their time giving birth to children,
or those who must give birth to children or those who come to the sown fields of this world ,he is not like them. He thinks himself alone in this world.He says that he has worked like a peasant ploughing the field or collecting algae from the pond.He has done all the hard works and his life has flown like unchecked winds, and wishes to sleep beneath the stars. The poet in deep agony says that he had once loved a women but he now looks all women with hatred.
‘’Amare se bhalobaseache,
Aceache kache,
Upekha se koreche amare,
Ghrena kore chole geche ghokon dekheche bare bare
Bhalobese tare ;
Tobu o sadhona chelo ekdin – aei bhalobasa;
Ami tar upekkhar basa
Ami atr ghrenar akrosh
Baohela kore geche ; je nokhotro – nokhotrer dose
Amr premer pothe barbar deye geche badha
Ami ta bhuliageche;
Tobu aei bhalobasa—- dhulo ar kada’’
The poet is in deep agony for the girl who has left him now but feels that she had once loved him as she came near to him and paid no heed to him.But she had despised him and gone away when he called her time and again loving her.The poet says that despite of all this he cannot stop loving her.
‘’Mathar bhitore
Swapno noy—prem noy – kono ek bodh kaj
Ami sob debotar chere
Amar praner kache chole asi,
Boli ami aye hridoyere;
Se keno joler moto ghure ghure eka kotha koye?
Abosad nai tar? Nai atr shanteer samay?
Konodeen ghube na? dhere sue thakebar swad
Pabe na ke? Pabe na alhad
Manuser mukhe dekhe konodeen!
Manuser mukhe dekhe konodeen!
Sishu mukhe dekhe konodeen!’’
The poet says that within his head he does not dream or love
but some sensation is at work and tells that he has left
all gods behind and come close to heart-He does not belief in God rather listen to his heart.
‘’Ae bodh –sudhu ae swad
Paye se ke ogad—ogad!
Prithibeer poth chere akasher nokhetrer poth
Chay na se? koreche sapath
Dekhebe se manuser mukh?
Dekhebe se manuser mukh?
Dekhebe se sishudeer mukh?
Chokhe kalo seerar osuk , kane jai bodherota ache ,
Jae kungh – golgond manse folaeche
Nosto sasha – pocha chalkoomror chache,
Je sab hridoye pholeache
–sai sab’’
The poet is in the state of grief that he did not got all the happiness and his dreams never fulfilled which he always cherished for.
Summary of the poem
“Bodh” is a Bengali poem written in 1930 by Jibannanda Das . It was first published in the literary magazine Pragati in 1336 of Bengali calender. The poem was later included in Jibanananda’s collection. The poet, as we see in the poem, has travelled far and wide, but peace eluded him. The poet has written the poem being very hut in a very sad and despair state of mind. Here he speaks about a girl whom the poet liked about unfornated the girl got wiped out of the poet of the poet’s life. Then it has been shown in the poem that he in search of her beloved has travelled far and wide and has experienced the beauty of the nature, which he has beautifully expressed in this poem. He at a moment thinks the world as an illusion as he has lost everything. He then describes that he had worked like a peasant ploughing the field or collecting algae from the pond. He has done all the hard works and his life has flown like unchecked winds, and wishes to sleep beneath the stars. The poet in deep agony says that he had once loved a women but he now looks all women with hatred. The poet says that within his head he does not dream or love but some sensation is at work and tells that he has left all gods behind and come close to heart-He does not belief in God rather listen to his heart.
Importance of the poem
The poet here explains to the readers that nature can heal everything. At first he says describing about various sceneries of nature but at a sudden point he speaks about his real pain to readers, telling them about his beloved woman, whom the poet had loved but could not keep himself from loving her. Here the poet tells that the beauty of the nature had healed the wound of love caused by special one.
