Tobe bojranole Apon buker pajor jalie nie ekla jolo re. Jodi jhor-badole adhar rate duar dee ghore. Jodi alo na dhore, ore ore o obhaga, alo na dhore Trample the thorns under thy tread, and along the blood-lined track and travel alone. Translation : If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness, O thou unlucky one, O tui roktomakha chorontole ekla dolo re. Jodi gohon pothe jabar kale keu fire na chae, jodi gohon pothe jabar kale keu phire naa chaai. Jodi shobai fire jae, ore ore o obhaga,shobai phire jai Translation : If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall, O thou unlucky one, open your mind and speak out alone.
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O tui mukh fute tor moner kotha ekla bolo re. Jodi shobai thake mukh firaee shobai kore bhoe, jodi shobaai thake mukh phiraae shobai kore bhoi- Tobe poran khule Jodi keu kotha na koe, ore ore o obhaga,keu kothana koi Translation : If they answer not to your call, then walk alone Jodi tor dak shune keu na ashe tobe ekla cholo re, Ekla cholo, ekla cholo, ekla cholo, ekla cholo re. Jodi tor dak shune keu na ashe tobe ekla cholo re, So I rejoice in song and dance with each and all." In love there's no separation, but co-mingling always. Now no men-made distinctions have any hold on me, And I revel only in the gladness of my own welling love. No master I obey, nor injunctions, canons or custom. "That is why, brother, I became a madcap Baul. And why not, when the word Baul has its origin in the Sanskrit word Vatula ("mad", from vayu - "air" or "wind") and is used for someone who is possessed or crazy or from Vyakula, which means "restless, agitated." No wonder that Tagore writes,
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The paths charted by the wayward seem strange. This song has inspired generations who have returned the favor through various renditions of this soulful number : see here, here, here and here The influence of Nabani is often not written about in Tagore’s writings, but it is said it was because Nabani being a minstrel never wanted to be known to the larger world. Tagore is said to have been stirred by the words of a dhap-kirtan written and tuned by his Baul guru Nabani Das Baul that praised Nityananda, a disciple of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu : Harinaam diye jagat matale amar ekla nitaire ( The seeker chants the name of the Lord and walks alone).
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But much like the Bauls who inspired this song, this song is not what it seems J It puts up an appearance of being a song of resolution – of walking alone in face of adversity, but it is indeed a song of love, even as it exhorts us to take up the path that the world – mistakenly, of course - calls nonsense. In fact, this song was the anthem of the Anti-Partition Movement in Bengal Presidency in 1905. With its theme of walking relentlessly, it has been associated with political rallies and social change movements. This week’s Maitri Tunes offering, the song Ekla Chalo re was originally composed by Tagore in 1905 and was one of Gandhiji’s favorites. The Bauls continue to inspire seekers – as one can read in the soulful story of Parvathy Baul’s initiation into the Parampara (tradition) Here, there and everywhere, Wherever I turn, right in front is He! In my every sight, in the sparkle of light. Ogo tai dekhi taye jethay sethay Taka-i ami jé dik-pané Tagore articulates the core belief of the Bauls :Īmar praner manush achhé prané Tai heri taye sakol khaneĪchhe shé nayōntaray, alōk-dharay, tai na haraye. A handful of such Bauls across generations have shaped the Bangla culture in such myriad ways that it is indeed one of the masterpieces of oral and intangible heritage of humanity. The Bauls - a group of mystic minstrels from Bengal - set in motion a movement so subtle yet powerful that territorial boundaries have ceased to matter : geographical (India - Bangladesh), sectarian (Vaishnava Hindus and Sufi Muslims) or definitional (is it a religion or a musical tradition) merge when it comes to the Bauls.