The Satsaī of Biharilal

The full translation will eventually be published by Harvard University Press as part of the Murty Classical Library of India. The original is a collection of 714 couplets in Braj Bhasha. My attempt here is to render the verses in English tercets (albeit of varying line length) in recognition of the metrical regularity of the Braj couplets.

The small selection of translation drafts given below shows a fairly typical sample of themes and styles.

Rupert Snell

!पय $तय स' हँ*स कै कhौ लखै 1दठौना दीन ।
चंदमुखी मुख चंद ुत; भलौ चn सम क>न ॥ ४५ ॥ १ ॥

1 He laughs to see her charming mole applied: 
“How well, face-like-the-moon, you’ve made 
your moon-face like the moon.”

हा हा बदन उघाEर dगु सफल करौ सब ुकोउ ।
रोज सरोजनु कL परौ हँसी ससी क> होउ ॥ ५५ ॥ २ ॥

2 Ah yes! Unveil your face, 
that all may feast their eyes: 
let the lotus weep, may the moon be mocked!

कागद पर Nलखत न बनै कहत सँदसेु लजात ।
क1हह ैसबु तेरौ 1हयौ मेर े1हय क> बात ॥ ६२ ॥ ३ ॥

3 Paper won’t hold it, nor dare I say the words: 
your heart alone will bear 
the burden of mine.

कौनु सुनै कास' कह' सुर$त !बसारी नाह ।
बदाबदी jौ लेत हL ए बदरा बदराह ॥ ६५ ॥ ४ ॥

4 My lord’s forgotten me: 
whom shall I call to, who will hear?
The monsoon clouds roil all around in rivalry.

मो1ह दयौ मेरौ भयौ रहत ुजु !मNल Tजय साथ ।
सो मनु बाँVध न सौ!पयै !पय सौ$तन क; हाथ ॥ ८५ ॥ ५ ॥

5 Your gift to me is mine, dwells with my soul: 
lay not that heart, my love, 
in rival hands.

j' जोबन जेठ 1दन कुच !म$त अ$त अVधका$त ।
t' t' Vछन Vछन क\ट Vछपा छीन पर$त 1नत जा$त ॥ ११३ ॥ ६ ॥

6 As summer days, the young girl’s breasts 
fill out and grow; just so her waist, like summer’s night, 
attenuates.

कहत सबै क!ब कमल सL मो मत नैन पषान ु।
नतरकु कत इन !बय लगत उपजतु !बरह कृसानु ॥ १२० ॥ ७ ॥

7 “Like lotuses”, the poets say; but I’d say eyes are stone; 
how else, when hers strike mine, 
is sparked this lovesick fire?

!बनती र$त !बपरीत क> करी पर*स !पय पाइ ।
हँ*स अनबोलL ही 1दयौ ऊतd 1दयो बताइ ॥ १३१ ॥ ८ ॥

8 He touched her foot, that she would come astride him; 
she smiled, said not a word, put out the lamp, 
and so replied him.

राधा हEर हEर राVधका बन आये संकेत ।
दंप$त र$त !बपरीत सुख ुसहज सुरतf लेत ॥ १५६ ॥ ९ ॥

9 With Radha dressed as Hari, he as she, 
they trade roles in their woodland tryst. 
So who’s above? The lover or his ladylove?

इत तL उत उत तL इत ैVछन ुन कfँ ठहरा$त ।
जक न पर$त चकरी भई $फEर आव$त $फर जा$त ॥ २०७ ॥ १० ॥

10 From here to there, and back again, 
no peace or pause; she’s restless as a spinning-top, 
by turns she comes and goes.

सोवत जागत सपन बस रस Eरस चैन कुचैन । 
सुर$त sाम घन क> सुर$त !बसरै fँ !बसरै न ॥ २२८ ॥ ११ ॥

11 Sleeping, wakeful, dreaming, in joy or anger, 
quiet or disquiet, memories of loving dark-cloud Shyam
won’t leave my mind.

हEर क>ज$त तुम स' यह ै!बनती बार हजार ।
Tज1ह $त1ह भाँ$त डर् यौ रह' पर् यौ रह' दरबार ॥ २४१ ॥ १२ ॥

12 Hari, a thousand times to you I pray: 
however it may be, let me lodge forever 
in a corner of your court.

बरजी कै बार तूँ इत कत ले$त कर'ट ।
पुँखरी लगै गुलाब क> पEरह ैगात खर'ट ॥ २५७ ॥ १३ ॥

13 So many times I tell you this: 
don’t turn, lie still—lest rosy petals
graze your limbs.

Vचतु तरसतु !मलत न बनत ुब*स परोस कै बास ।
छाती फाटी जा$त सु1न टाटी ओट उसास ॥ २६३ ॥ १४ ॥

14 I yearn, but cannot tend my neighbor-love 
whose sighs, screened by this trellis,
rend my heart.

sाम सुर$त कEर राVधका तक$त तdिणजा तीd ।
अँसुवनु कर$त तर'स कौ qखनकु खरौह' नीd ॥ २९३ ॥ १५ ॥

15 Recalling loving Shyam, Radhika stares at Jumna’s shore; 
and for a spell, she salts the bankside waters 
with her tears.

जरी कोर गोरै बदन बढ़ी खरी छ!ब दखेु ।
लस$त मनौ !बजुरी 1कय; सारद स*स पEरवेषु ॥ ३०५ ॥ १६ ॥

16 See how a border of golden thread 
frames the gleam of this fairest face,
as lightning haloes the autumn moon!

चुनरी sाम सतार नभ मुs स*स क> अनुहाEर ।
नेह दबावत नtद ल' 1नरqख 1नसा सी नाEर ॥ ३२६ ॥ १७ ॥

17 Her mantle’s dark and starry sky enfolds 
a moon-light face; and love bears down like sleep
as I behold my Lady Night.

तौ लगु या मन सदन मै हEर आव1हu 1क1ह बाट ।
!बकट जट ेजौ लौ 1नपट खुटै न कपट कपाट ॥ ३६३ ॥ १८ ॥

18 How shall Hari enter the chamber of my heart 
while falsehood’s latch and bolt 
lock tight the door?

दखेv जागत वै*सयै साँकर लगी कपाट ।
1कत hै आवतु जात भTज को जानै 1क1ह बाट ॥ ४२४ ॥ १९ ॥

19 Awakening, I see the door still chained.
Then who can say how comes he in? 
And goes again?

भौ यह ऐसोई समौ जहाँ सुखद दखु दते ।
चैत चाँद क> चाँदनी डारत 1कय; अचेत ॥ ५१९ ॥ २० ॥

20 It’s such a time when even pleasing things give pain; 
the moonlight of this springtime moon 
will strike me down.

Vछpौ छबीली मुsँ लसै नीले आँचर चीर ।
मनो कला1नVध झलमलL काNलuदी कै नीर ॥ ५३७ ॥ २१ ॥

21 Veiled, her lovely face gleams 
beneath a blue mantle; like a moon it seems,
glimmering in Jamuna waters.

मै लqख नारी gानु कEर रा|ौ 1नरधार यह ।
वहई रोग 1नदानु वह ैबैद ुऔषद वह ै॥ ५५७ ॥ २२ ॥

22 Well can I read the vein of womankind: 
he is the cause of her disease, 
he the physician, he the healing herb.

हठु न हठीली कEर सकL यह पावसु Eरतु पाइ ।
आन गाँ\ठ j' घुट$त t' मान गाँ\ठ छु\ट जाइ ॥ ५६२ ॥ २३ ॥

23 Who stays stubborn in the rains? 
While other knots may tighten, 
the lover’s knot of anger’s bound to yield.

वेई Vचरजीवी अमर 1नधरक $फरौ कहाइ ।
Vछनु !बछुरै Tजनक> न1हuनु पावस आउ *सराइ ॥ ५६३ ॥ २४ ॥

24 Let those who brag about eternal life 
first brave a moment’s separation 
in the rains.

चमचमात चंचल नयन !बच घूँघट पट झीन ।
मानs सुरसEरता $वमल जल उछलत जुग मीन ॥ ५७६ ॥ २५

25 Through sheerest veil peep gleaming eyes: 
paired fishes leaping sleek and bright 
in Ganga’s limpid stream.

!मNल परछाहt जौn स' रह ेदsुन के गात ।
हEर राधा इक संग ही चले गली म1हu जात ॥ ६७४ ॥ २६ ॥

26 His body blends with shadow, hers with moon; 
two souls are one, as Hari-Radha
roam the lane.

ENVOI

तौ बNलह ैभNलयै बनी नागर नंद1कसोर ।
jौ तुम नीके कै लखौ मो करनी क> ओर ॥ ६२५ ॥ २७ ॥

27 There, gracious Nandkishor — 
’tis all well done, I swear,
if you look kindly on my deed.