मोगरा फुलला मोगरा फुलला ।
इवलेंसे रोप लाविलें द्वारी ।
त्याचा वेलु गेला गगनावेरी ॥१॥
मोगरा फुलला मोगरा फुलला ।
फुलें वेंचितां बहरू कळियांसी आला ॥२॥
मनाचिये गुंती गुंइफियेला शेला ।
बाप रखुमादेविवरू विठ्ठलीं अर्पिला ॥३॥
- संत ज्ञानेश्वर
Mogra bloomed, Mogra bloomed (Mogra is a very sweet smelling flower)
A small sapling planted at my doorstep
It's vine grew up to reach the sky
Mogra bloomed, Mogra bloomed.
As the flowers were plucked, it bloomed into completeness (approx)
On mind's loom, I wove a rich cloth
And offered it to my father-like god Vitthal
Marathi poetry has a rich collenction of bhakti sangeet. There were many poet saints who wove beautiful poetry of devotion to Vitthal or inspiration found among daily doings of people, and in nature. I don't know much about the origin of Vitthal, but he has inspired some really beautiful poetry.
Many times though, the Marathi used is arcane, and not easily comprehendible. But isn't it the case with a lot of Indian literature that the language is the biggest barrier?
Ah! Marathi songs make me feel like I'm on home-territory :-). Definitely amongst the prettiest words from Saint Dnyaneshwar & prettiest renditions from Lata.
ReplyDeleteAmidst all the saint-literature that I had a brush with, I find Saint Dnyaneshwar's the sweetest. He has an uncanny ability to present the toughest of thoughts with simplest & prettiest of metaphors. I remember, long back when I was (trying to) reading the Dnyaneshwari, I came across such metaphors that have just stuck with me all these years. The 'arcane'-ness that u find is because of the 'Prakrit' influence.
Too good! :-)
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ReplyDeleteBTW, Mogra => jasmine :-)
ReplyDeleteAlso "the rich cloth woven over mind's loom" that he's mentioning refers to his collection of verses, "Dnyaneshwari".
Well, Prakrit or not, I usually feel that Indian literature is written in languages of the elite. When Marathi is in commons, use Prakrit, when Sanskrit was in commons, use Bali and when it stopped being common language, use Sanskrit :)
ReplyDeleteWell, I have been into quite a few English poems recently, don't know why... could be just that they do not need transcribing and translation :) My hands have been hurting, and office is bearing me down. :)
Btw, I think Jasmine is Jai and Star Jasmine is Jui and Mogra is neither... or so I always thought :)
Also about reference to Dyaneshwari, ah! For poems, I prefer to leave the words as they are - abstract and fluid without tying them to something concrete. Everyone who reads the poem should come up with their own word interpretation... thats the joy :)
Ah you actually read Dyaneshwari... cool!
ReplyDeleteMy Grandpa had one with unbinded pages (pothi-style), and the only contact with the book use to be to hide or shuffle a few of those pages to bug him :)
:-D. BTW, I never read books... I just skim thru' :-)
ReplyDeleteWikipedia settles the debate: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasminum_sambac.
ReplyDeleteI don't think "Jasminum sambac bloomed" will read too well in poetry though.
-Alok
"Specie of Jasmine", yay! Thanks, Alok :-). It seems, the comments are more related to botany than spirituality :-D
ReplyDeleteSee... you blog, you learn!
ReplyDelete