Tistaan II

Tistaan II
1)
With five rupees starts my day,
with sixteen it ends;
Three rupees will buy me freedom,
And then I take off.

Pre-Chorus
Why did you then stretch out your arms?
And why so quiet now?
What made you light the lamps?
Now it’s only burnt incense
You are altogether a different entity now.

Chorus
As for me, almost insane,
gotten used to poisoning myself everyday,
These two empty hands clamour again
for Tistan… oh take me back
to Tistan.

2)
End of the month,
They’ll fill your pockets
Yet it is at these monthends
You feel completely empty within.

Pre-Chorus
When time traps you,
Your time doesn’t move
When it is needed most,
You’ll find none of it
Time would have deserted you by then.

3)
Why didn’t you cry when I said ‘I’m leaving?’
Made mistakes, why didn’t you stop me?
As long as you’re winning, everybody’s with you,
You lose once, no one is there beside you.

English Translations by Sangeeta Ghoshal

Forest Night

Aranyaraat - Forest Night

Verse 1

You keep thinking, the river goes flowing and I see
the forest stays awake all night
Fireflies blink, a few worms moonbathe
Your hair awash with dewdrops that also wet your eyelashes.
My Calcutta lies wrapped in deep, misty sleep
Blows the morose wind bringing on with it the wail of a poison flower

Chorus

If my breath touches the wind
Sparks will fly, definitely, sparks
And that very moment, somebody,
Pushing the mouth into my ear, will tell me stories.

Verse 2
When the trees sway, clouds clear up,
a bit of light takes a dip in the water
Thinking now, staring at the clock,
can you hear a strange song?
Without flesh or blood, and no skin to hold it tight,
The soul of this song wants to flee, defying all norms
There is a bit of chill, a pinch of fear in the air,
Yet it’s soothing to be here
It’s a neat feeling.

English Translations by Sangeeta Ghoshal

This is what I want

Eito Aami Chaai - This is what I want

Sthayee
This is what I want, gold dust all over me,
Stretch out your hand next moment, it’s not there –
Some other time, morning wraps around me
sounds awaken yarn of time, all woven, gets over,
So are the number of days – all counted.

Antara 1
Let’s play like this, call me by whatever name you feel like
When grass touches your feet, why do you shut your eyes?
I, too, am getting trapped in tender caress… oh no!

Antara 2
Let’s return now, hedged into narrow lanes,
In the commotion I lift my face
What should I say to you?
I, too, am getting trapped in tender caress… oh no!

English Translations by Sangeeta Ghoshal

In Your City

Tomar Shawhoray - In Your City

1)
In your city there dwells no thief
No one dies
Your city practices no religion
Knows not how to lie.

Pre-Chorus
Have you ever thought of the escape route?
When will these limited celebrations come to an end?
‘Get your lost keys made, instantly’ – keymaker
trudges down the road
Coffins are still being sold in the market.

Chorus :
What your two hands are now scrambling for,
I know not where you’ll store them
This, yes this could be the last opportunity
Grab it, crave for life for the sake of living.

2)
Your God you’ve not seen,
He too does not know you,
Sleeping on which side makes you comfortable
No one else knows, other than you.

Pre-chorus
Standing alone on the road, vulnerable,
Getting drenched in torrential rain
Wiping their eyes cars go passing by,
Black umbrellas hazier.

English Translations by Sangeeta Ghoshal