The Temple of pleasure: Madhushala

Let me begin by putting forward my condolences for all those in the world with little or absolutely no knowledge of Hindi... for Harivansh Rai Bachchan's epic cannot have any translation.. Its like translating Pushkin's Eugene Onegin from Russian. You can understand the plight of translators like Novakov of Lolita's fame , who translated the 200 lines Eugene Onegin in four volumes...

With all this forward, let me confess that I tried translating atleast 20 stanzas of Madhushala but then was left flabbergasted, How could I dare to change the meter, what about the rhyme scheme.. the alliteration used and concentrating on the technicalities I was bound to compromise on the meaning. For In addition to the deep philosophy that Madhushala professes it is also a poem that can be sung, a poem where the words clutter and stutter, sway and flow like the wine from an bottle.

In addition to this there was the limitation of language.. Now I am not undermining the english language, I cannot, it is so rich, but then its not yet rich enough to assimilate the Indian culture in all glory. What does Madhushala translate into? House of wine, pub, bar; No I cannot but differ. The cup bearer as Saki lacks the exotic flavor and "haala" and "pyala", "madhusha ki baala" even if translatable doesn't hold back the beauty of the word.

But I still havn't lost hope, I am trying but then the post on some of the couplets in Hindi in the anglo Roman Script couldn't wait. The 20 stanzas are selected from the DVD of Madhushala sung by Manna dey and are available in stores. I should add that the first 10 stanzas are in playful mode, mostly the writer being in awe of Madhushala, but then the last ten stanzas bring a sense of gloom and talks of madhushala and death in the same breath. I don't want to give any commentaries, atleast for now, so let me just end here else I start to digress.

Enjoy and do pray for me, I will be needing a lot of those:

Madhushala:

Madiralaya jaane ko ghar se, chalta hai peene wala
kis path se jaaoon asamanjas, me hai woh bholabhala
alag alag path batalate sab, par main yeh batalata hun
raah pakad tu ekk chalachal, paa jaaega madhushala. (1)
Click For Translation

Sun kal-kal chhal-chhal, madhukhat se girti, pyaalon mein haalaa
sun runjhun runjhun chal, vitaran karti madhusha ki baalaa
bas aa pahunche, door nahin, kuch chaar kadam ab chalna hai
chahak rahe sun, peene waale, mehak rahi le madhushala. (2)
Click For Translation

Lal sura ki dhaar lapat si, kehna isse dena jwalaa
hai nil madira hai mat isko, keh dena ur ka chhaalaa
dard nasha hai iss madira ka, Bigat smritiyan saaki hain
peeda mein anand jise ho, aaey meri madhushala. (3)
Click For Translation

Dharma granth sab jalaa chuki hain, jiske antar ki jwalaa
mandir, masjid, girje sab ko, tod chuka jo matwala
pandit, momin, padriyon ke, phandon ko jo kaat chuka
kar sakti hai aaj usi ka, swaagat meri madhushala. (4)
Click For Translation

Lalayit adharon se jisne, haay nahin choomi halaa
harshiv kampit kar se jisne, haay na chuaa madhu ka pyaalaa
haath pakad lajjit saaki ka, pass nahin jisne khincha
vyarth sukhaa daali jeevan ki, usne madhumaya madhushala. (5)
Click For Translation

Bane pujaari premi saaki, gangajal pawan halaa
rahe pherta avirat gati se, madhu ke pyalon ki malaa
aur liye jaa, aur piye jaa, issi mantra ka jaap kare
main Shiv ki pratimaa ban baithun, mandir ho yeh madhushala. (6)
Click For Translation

Ek baras mein ek baar hi, jalti holi ki jwalaa
ek bar hi lagti baazi, jalti deepon ki malaa
duniya waalo kintu kisi din, aa madiralaya mein dekho
din ko holi raat diwali, roz manati madhushala. (7)
Click For Translation

Adharon par ho koi bhi ras, jiwha par lagti halaa
haan jan ho koi haathon mein, lagta rakha hai pyaalaa
har surat saaki ki surat, main parivartit ho jati
aankhon ke aage ho kuchh bhi, aankhon mein hai madhushala. (8)
Click For Translation

Sumukhi tumhara sundar mukh hi, mujh ko kanchan ka pyalaa
chhalak rahi hai, jisme maanik roop madhur maadak halaa
main hi saaki banta main hi, peene waala banta hun
jahan kahin mil baithe hum tum, wahin gai ho madhushala. (9)
Click For Translation

Do din hi madhu mujhe pilaa kar, oob uthi saaki balaa
bhar kar ab khiska deti hai, woh mere aage pyalaa
naaz adaa andazon se ab, haye pilanaa duur huaa
ab to kar deti hai keval, farz-adaaee madhushala. (10)

Chote se jeevan main kitna, pyaar karoon, pee loon halaa
aane ke hi saath jagat main, kahlayaa jaane walaa
swagat ke hi saath bidaa ki, hoti dekhi tayyaari
band lagi hone khulate hi, meri jeevan madhushala.(11)

Shaant sakhi ho kab tak saaqi, pee kar kis ur ki jwaalaa
aur aur ki ratan lagataa, jataa har peene walaa
kitni ichchhaaen, har jane walaa chhod yahan jataa
kitne armaanon ki ban kar, qabra khadi hai madhushala. (12)

Yam aaegaa saaki ban kar, saath liye kaali halaa
pee na hosh main phir aaegaa, sura visudh yah matwaalaa
yah antim behoshi, antim saaki, antim pyaala hai
pathik pyaar se peena isko, phir na milegi madhushala. (13)

Dhalak rahi ho tan ke ghat se, sangini jab jeevan halaa
paatra garal ka le jab antim, saaki ho aanewala
haath paras bhule pyaale ka, swaad sura jwiha bhule
kaanon main tum kehti rehna, madhukan pyaala madhushaala (14)

Girti jaati hai din pratidin, pranayani pranon ki halaa
bhagna hua jaata din pratidin, shubhage mera tan pyala
rooth raha hai mujhse roopasi, din din yauwan ka saaki
sookh rahi hai din din sundari, meri jeevan madhushaala. (15)

Mere adharon par ho antim, vastu na tulsi daal pyalaa
meri jwiha par ho antim, vastu na gangaajal halaa
mere shav ke peechhe chalne walon, yaad isse rakhna
Ram naam hai satya na kehna, kehna sachee madhushaala.(16)

Mere shav par woh roae ho, jiske ansoo mein halaa
aah bhare woh ho jo surbhit, madira pee kar matwalaa
dain mujhko weh kandha jinke, pad-mad-dag-mag hote ho
aur jaloon us thaur jahan par, kabhi rahi ho madhushaala. (17)

Aur chita par jaae undela, patra na ghrit ka par pyaala
ghant bandhi angoor lata me, madhya na jal ho par haala
praan priye yadi shraadh karo tum mera, toh aise karna
peene walon ko bulwakar, khulwa dena madhushala. (18)

Naam agar pooche koi toh, kehna bas peenewaala
kaam dhaalna aur dhalaana, sabko madira ka pyaala
jaati priye pooche yadi koi, keh dena deewanon ki,
dharam batana pyaalon ki le, maala japna madhushaala. (19)

Pitr pakshya me putra uthana, arghya na kar me par pyaala
Baith kahin par jaana ganga, saagar me bhar kar haala
kisi jagah ki mitti bheege, tripti mujhe mil jaayegi
tarpan arpan karna mujhko, padh padh karke madhushala. (20)