तुतारी

Keshavsut was a poet of an earlier era but he is credited to bring Marathi poetry into the modern world where poets talked of feelings, revolution, and other worldly emotions and concerns versus the religious poetry of his era. Even then his poems are quite different and reach the depths of emotions. Not sure how to convey it, but once I put up a couple here, you will know what I mean.

I really like this poem by him. I don't know whats an equivalent of a 'tutari', but its a big curved horn like instrument that people used to blow before staring out for a war. If you have ever watched a Prabhat Studio film, its in their icon. Look here.

Though ofcourse, I feel that his asking for someone to hand him a tutari in the first paragraph violates the spirit of the poem. But thats a trivial objection :)

Unfortunately, as I am translating it, I realize that my poor translation skills are stripping the poem of it's beauty.

एक तुतारी द्या मज आणुनी
फुंकीन जी मी स्वप्राणाने
भेदुनी टाकीन सारी गगने
दीर्घ तिच्या त्या किंकाळीने,
अशी तुतारी द्या मजलागुनि

Bring me a tutari
I will blow into it with my own life
And shatter all the skies
With that tutari's shrill sound
Bring me such a tutari

जुने जाऊ द्या मरणालागुनि
जाळूनी किंवा पुरुनी टाका
सडत न एका ठायी ठाका
सावध ऐका पुढल्या हाका
खांद्यास चला खांदा भिडवूनी
एक तुतारी द्या मज आणुनी

Let the old stuff wilt away
Burn it or bury it
Don't let it rot in your heart
Be aware and listed to the calls from the future
Walk ahead shoulder to shoulder
Bring me such a tutari

प्राप्तकाल हा विशाल भूधर
सुंदर लेणी तयात खोदा
निजनामे त्या वरती नोंदा
बसुनी का वाढविता मेदा
विक्रम काही करा चला तर
हल्ला करण्या ह्या दंभावर,ह्या बंडावर

(This is the best stanza)
Present is like a huge rock
Carve beautiful carvings in it
Write your names on them
Why do you sit and and add to the nothingness?
Come on and achieve some valor
Attack these rules, these revolutions

शुरांनो या त्वरा करा रे
समते चा ध्वज उंच धारा रे
नीती ची द्वाही फिरवा रे
तुतारीच्या या सुरा बरोबर

Warriors hurry
Hold aloft the flag of equality
Spread the announcement of justice
With this tutari's horn