Bhanusimha Thakurer Padabali

Bhanusimha Thakurer Padabali (Bengali: ভানুসিংহ ঠাকুরের পদাবলী, Bhanusingho Thakurer Padabali; lit. The Songs of Bhanusinmha Thakur) is a collection of Vaishnava lyrics composed in Brajbuli by Rabindranath Tagore. It was published in 1884. These lyrics, which were earlier brought out in several issues of Bharati magazine, was first published as an anthology in 1884. Later, Tagore described an illuminating history of composing these songs in his reminiscence Jibansmriti.

The anthology has 22 songs out of which only 9 exists in Swarabitan (Vol. XXI), collection of notations of Tagore’s music.

Background

Young Tagore was attracted to the Maithili poems colletected in Prachin Kavya Samgraha edited by Akshay Chandra Sarkar and Sarada Charan Mitra. From Sarkar he learned of Thomas Chatterton, “a young boy who used to imitate the ancient poets”. Inspired by this example, Tagore prepared himself to be a “second Chatterton”.^[1] The first song "Gahana Kusumakunja-majhe" was probably composed in 1877. As no manuscript is found, except of the song "Gabhir Needame Abasha Shyama Mama", which is probably written in Ahmedabad in 1878,^[2] it is difficult to put these songs in a chronological order.^[3] Some songs, like "Marana Re, Tnuhu Mama Shyamasamana", "Ko Tnuhu Bolabi Moye" and "Aaju Sakhi Muhu Muhu" were composed much later.^[3]

Bhanusimha Thakurer Padavali was published on 1 July 1884. It was dedicated to Kadambari Devi, Tagore’s sister-in-law who was eager to see the poems published but committed suicide in 1883.^[4]

Theme

The "Bhanusimha" poems chronicle the romance between Radha and Krishna which is a traditional theme of Indian poetry. The poet sought connection with divinity through appeal to nature and the emotional interplay of human drama. He repeatedly revised the poems over the course of seventy years.^[5][6] Song VIII of Bhanusimha Thakurer Padavali:

Songs

Bhanusimha Thakurer Padavali has 22 songs altogether, which includes:

• "Basanta aaolo re" ("বসন্ত আওল রে")
• "Shunaha shunaha balika" ("শুনহ শুনহ বালিকা")
• "Hridayaka saadh mishaolo hridaye" ("হৃদয়ক সাধ মিশাওল হৃদয়ে")
• "Shyam re, Nipata kathina man tor" ("শ্যাম রে, নিপট কঠিন মন তোর")
• "Sajani sajani radhika lo" ("সজনি সজনি রাধিকা লো")
• "Bandhua, hiya 'par aao re" ("বঁধুয়া, হিয়া 'পর আও রে")
• "Shuna sakhi, baajata banshi" ("শুন সখি, বাজত বাঁশি")
• "Gahana kusumakunja-majhe" ("গহন কুসুমকুঞ্জ-মাঝে")
• "Satimira rajani, sachakita sajani" ("সতিমির রজনী, সচকিত সজনী")
• "Bajaao re mohan banshi" ("বজাও রে মোহন বাঁশি")
• "Aaju sakhi, muhu muhu" ("আজু সখি, মুহু মুহু")
• "Shyam, mukhe taba madhura adharame" ("শ্যাম, মুখে তব মধুর অধরমে")
• "Sajani go" ("সজনি গো")
• "Badarabarakhana niradagarajana" ("বাদরবরখন নীরদগরজন")
• "Madhaba, na kaho aadarabaani" ("মাধব, না কহ আদরবাণী")
• "Sakhi lo, sakhi lo, nikaruna Madhaba", ("সখি লো, সখি লো, নিকরুণ মাধব")
• "Baar baar sakhi, baran karanu" ("বার বার সখি, বারণ করনু")
• "Hum jaba na raba sajani" ("হম যব না রব সজনী")
• "Marana re" ("মরণ রে")
• "Ko tnuhu bolabi moye" ("কো তুঁহু বোলবি মোয়")
• "Sakhi re, pirit bujhabe ke" ("সখিরে, পীরিত বুঝবে কে")
• "Hum sakhi daarida naari" ("হম সখি দারিদ নারী")

References

• Stewart, T. (editor, translator); Twichell, C. (editor, translator) (2003), Rabindranath Tagore: Lover of God, Copper Canyon Press, ISBN 1-55659-196-9