আগে জান না রে মন, ইংরেজি অনুবাদে লালনের গান | Oh my heart had you only known Lalan Songs in Einglish

Abstract

The songs of Bangladesh's revered bhāb-sādhaka Lalan Sain have been translated by many different scholars at different times. Often their translations, however, have been primarily designed for literary appreciation or academic analysis. The translations that are found in this article, while they certainly aim to be useful in other contexts, are more directly intended to communicate the spiritual essence of the music and make the various archetypal and linguistic symbols found in Lalan's lyrics come alive for non-native speakers of Bangla. They are also designed to be set to music, and as such have been recently performed with their original Baul melodic scales and instruments by singers in Kushtia, Narsingdi, Dhaka, and elsewhere. To this end, a slightly different perspective has been taken in formatting and word-choice. In the introduction to the translations a brief narrative summarizes how the translator, originally brought up near the border between Mexico and the United States, became initially fascinated both by Bangladesh's sādhana subculture and the songs of Lalan. It then briefly describes his acquaintance and association with the bards or folk singers and followers of Lalan songs, especially those who claim to observe the original or ādi Baul modes of life as passed down through songs and oral tradition, and touches upon his experience in their wider Bangla musical milieu, including both in the more formal sādhu-sanga or community of aspirants and in more casual contexts, both urban and rural. The article closes with a publication of five English translations of Lalan songs, alongside with the original Bangla lyrics as received orally from well-respected Bauls in the Lalan tradition.