At 2:30 AM, 22 October 2023, my family and I were still awake. We had just returned to the guest house from Timarpur’s 107th Durga Puja Ashtami celebration. Our nerves were still tingling with all that excitement from the live music and dancing.
I asked my husband, “Which poem should I recite tomorrow in the Abritti competition at the Durga Puja pandal? I haven’t done any preparation, so should I just manage with the one I recited last year? I won a prize, but will anyone still remember? I will do the dhunuchi dance in the evening, so I will remain busy all through.”
My enthusiasm gave him a pleasant surprise. The idea of a sardarni reciting a Bengali poem and performing in a dhunuchi competition made him smile with amusement.
“No, he said, “you’d better learn a new poem.”
“But I don’t have enough time to practice. Abritti competition will begin tomorrow morning and I don’t want to end up reciting a poem that I don’t care much about myself. So give me a poem that’s short and simple with a modern theme.”
After about 15 minutes, while I changed into my nightie and stowed my sari and jewelry into a suitcase, the poem was ready. It was Apurba Dutta’s ‘Bangla-Tangla.” After he finished reading it out to me, I agreed that it was indeed the right one. Here’s why.
1. Short and simple: It has just twenty lines, interspersed with lots of English words.
2. Modern theme, easy to understand: It’s about kids neglecting their mother tongue Bangla and focusing more on subjects like Mathematics, Geography, etc.
Sukhangshu’s next challenge was to re-write it in the Roman script, as I can’t read Bangla.
This time, my daughter Suroshri became my saviour.
“Bapi, WhatsApp me that poem. I will use ChatGPT to rewrite it. You can fine tune it after I am done.”
In the next 15 minutes, Bangla-Tangla was on my phone, rewritten in English.
The ball was in my court now.
Next morning, I woke up early and re-wrote the poem on a piece of paper in my own handwriting. See the pic on top. (Do forgive my terrible handwriting).😊 That was how I learnt my lessons all through school and college.
By the time the competition began at around 11 AM, I had already recited it to myself so many times that it felt like my own poem!
As you must have guessed, I won a prize this time too; and yes, I did the dhunuchi dance later during the evening arti; it was my way of thanking the Goddess for everything.
Here is the poem now along with its English translation.
Bangla- Tangla (Author Apurba Dutta)
Annualer result hate badi firlo chhele, (With his annual results in his hand, the young boy returned home).
Ma bollo, kon paper e koto number pele? (Mom said, “How many marks in which subject?”)
History te, Ma, 84; Maths e nine zero. (In History, Ma, 84; In Maths, nine-zero).
Ma bollo fantastic, just like a hero. (Ma said, fantastic, just like a hero).
Science e Dad, not so fair, only sixty-nine (In Science, Dad, not so fair, only 69).
English e just 92, altogether fine. (In English, just 92).
Geography te hundred e hundred (In Geography, 100 out of 100).
Dubiye dileo Bengali ta, very poor grade. (Bengali has brought me down, very poor grade).
Cheler mathaye haat rekhe (placing her hand on the boy’s head)
Ma thot benkiye boley– (with pouting lips, Ma said)
Never mind, Bengali ta na shikhie chole. (Never mind, you can manage without learning Bangla)
Baba bollo, besh bolecho. (Dad said, rightly said).
Bongo maater konne (by daughter of a Bengali mother)
Bangla-tangla amar moto oshikhidder jonno. (Bangla Tangla is for the uneducated like me).
Biddasagor, Robindronath nihat chillen boka. (Vidyasagar, Rabindranath were stupid).
Na hole keu shoq kore hoy Bangla boier poka? (why else would anyone be a Bangla bookworm?)
Ma Bollo chup koro to. (Ma said, shut up).
Ar fault ta kisher? (Whose fault is it?).
School e keno Bengali ta Poray na English e? (Why don’t they teach Bengali in English?)
Here is my recitation video: https://youtu.be/o1Js0DhOal0?si=24u_F_3pH-We5PE7
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