If He wants

(207)  Tar man jadi cay sab kichu hay

If His mind fancies, everything is possible For any object in this world. Should a river return from coast to mountain, Who or what can protest? If He wants, in a trice, the earth He can make extinct. If He wants, to an arctic iceberg He can bring heat. If He wants, with a stone prison, He can make the flower bloom. If He wants, at darkest night, He can radiate light. Come, oh my companion, come sit in my meditation— With mind and heart I welcome You. Do not go, do not go, far away do not go, Letting drop a veil of mist.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Lines of love

(206)  Manera ankhi satata rakhi

My mind's eye I always keep Trained on Your songs, abiding friend. Day and night, with the stream of melodies, I behold You in the core of my heart. By the crimson glow of dawn's sun, Life is filled to the brim. The colorful luster of evening sun Stimulates new awareness. What an amorous sport is Yours! Ever-new experience Etches lines of love On my mind and on my heart. So it is, the denizens of earth and heaven Welcome You with devotion in their meditation.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

To be Thee

(205)  Eso go sakha tomari ashe

O my companion, looking for You, On my eyelids is no sleep. To match my cadence with Your beat, Mine gets canceled at every wink. My mind moves toward mean thoughts, Passion for colors, a stained illusion. To dance ahead in only Your current, Furnish the might, day and night. Bring on thunderbolts, bring on meteors. Keep on giving the power to fight them.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

One family

(2192)  Manus jena manuser tare

For the sake of humankind let humans Go on doing anything and everything. And this fact also let them heed— that beasts And birds are not their foe; even trees wish to live. The path is getting lost under gloomy darkness; Why else are the people weeping bitterly? Our hopes and whatever love They will take and pull near, over and above. Those who lack in food and education, Scorched by fate's conflagration— Everyone taken and given protection, This we will forge into a heaven.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

At Your will

(204)  Eso go kache eso dharara dhuli rupe bhare dao

Come, Lord, come close, infusing earth's dust with beauty. The flowers, veiled in shyness— fill their hearts with sweetness. On this moonlit Chaitra1 night, why do the chukars2 smile? In my mind, bumblebees come buzzing— what do they mean to say? And on a tree branch, peacocks sing— let me hear everything. If You wish, on withered branches flowers bloom, the dumb speak.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Chhayanat

(203)  Eso go bandhu mama ksudra e hrdaye

Come into this poor heart, my abiding friend; For eons, I am ardently awaiting Your advent. Though it is known that You are everywhere, I don't know that. As I deem You bound by space, You come and go incomprehensibly. Despite what I imagine, You draw me to You; In Your Self, I am merging, merging, merging. Let Your effulgence strike the canvass of my mind; Let Your lyre play the Chhayanat raag.[1] My abiding friend, please be seated with a honey-coated smile; I am ardently waiting for You to absorb my cadence in Yours.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Sadhana

(202)  Prathama jiivaner harano surer

The lost tunes of my early life, In my heart, the songs still reside. Full of color and style but ringed by modesty, How will I sing those songs publicly. Oh my Empathic Friend— Oh my Empathic Friend, carry me beyond shame; Today, let the flowers of my mind blossom. By Your divine sport, by Your divine magic, Everything blooms with sweet beauty. Covered with leaves were the buds of my mind; They were peeking through gaps between leaves. Today, ignoring shyness and fear, I proceed From the world of forms to the formless through sadhana.[1]

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Infatuation

(201)  Caeti haoyay mana jare cay

In the air of Chaitra,[1] the One whom my mind craves, Oh, how distant He is. Mind races on the path of His arrival, Afflicted with pain. Why oh why oh why does He remain afar? If anyone is knowing, please tell me. On contemplating Him, I get intoxicated; That mental state I cannot put out of mind. On this lonely night, in the company of moonlight, Suffering, I die weeping. The buzzing bumblebee murmurs in my ear A melody full of hope.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

A basket of flowers

(200)  Tumi esecho man je kerecho

You have come and enticed my mind. You have made me forget innumerable woes. In my stream of thought, both day and night, With music, You have strung a garland of songs. The scorch of meteors became like sandal paste On my obtaining Your touch of divine life. My desert-like thirst has gotten lost; Somewhere it vanished in Your verdant shade. Today, all my pains, all my sorrows— Lo, they have become a basket of flowers. Waiting and waiting, heart churning, Constantly soul-searching, This alone I've realized and paid heed— You love profusely.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Divine irony

(199)  Hiyara majhare niirava prahare

In the core of my heart at hours[1] when I am silent, Oh, who calls me in the language of songs? He says, "Come, come, sit by my side; Why are you remote at this uncommon time?" Gone are so many bright dawns And so many twilights in my turbulent life. Why didn't You come; why didn't You sit— Why didn't You answer one who besought Your reply? O distant Lord, by what magic Do You now bind me with a cord of flowers? After so long, to me is owed a great debt; I will place this garland around Your neck.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Pangs of separation

(198)  Amar e manoviina chandahiina

The lyre of my mind is passive; It resonates only when He plays it. A tune in harmony with His tune Must be played by the lyre. Under all conditions, He just smiles. When seated, He does not sit nearby. To where does the radiance of my heart flow; Oh, in which faraway land does it vanish? He gazes toward my eyes but eludes their grasp; Dancing, He departs with melodic magic.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Whirling

(197)  Sathii amar bandhu amar

My companion, my abiding friend, In what faraway land have You been? All my heart's embankments get breached On seeing and loving You. You exist, I exist; To Your oscillation, I go on dancing. Today, You left everything behind to be with me— Why did You come, smiling so brightly? Now my life sways to Your tune; In the dance, I float and float.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Gopal Krsna

(196)  Amare ke nebe bhai

Krsna Brothers, who will take me? I want to give myself, Diffusing in all minds. Your doors are closed, Your path obstructed— How can I proceed? Cowherds[1] Come, brother, all of us, We are ready Your hand to take. Removing the pebbles from your path, Our minds bright With light we do make. Krsna Then, brothers, I will make everyone dance. Come, one and all, In recollection and reflection.[2] None of you are far from me; You reside in the core of my heart, In the pulse of my existence.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Unfair trade

(195)  Eso mor prane eso mor mane

Come into my life, come into my mind; Come with the expression of dance. Thou, sea of grace, the pitcher of my heart— Fill it to the brim. Every half-opened flower bud Relies on Your light. In the blue yonder, all are mum, Waiting for Your tune. With Your light, with Your tune, You bring to earth a pulse that is new. You love those who love You; You even feel for those who love You not. At every opportunity, in exchange for mind, You fill one with the elixir of life.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

The secret of happiness

(194)  Tomake bhuliya ke kotha thakibe balo

In absence of You, tell me, where would anyone remain? This vibrant universe is filled to the brim With only You, resplendent. In absence of You, whatever we think would be mere fantasy, Whatever we say would be just idle talk. Without Your touch, everything would be a futile entanglement— All the world's laughter and light. On seeking Your blessing and realizing Your touch, Everything feels good.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Beyond the dark waters

(193)  Andhar sagare patha hariye

When the way is lost in an ocean of gloom, Just don't forget the polestar of life. Lo, beyond the dark waters is the ethereal beloved, He who dances round and round despair. Place many a fresh flower on the altar of mind; Attentively sprinkle them with dew-washed smiles. Across the fair firmament, watch His radiance float On a sea of form-free spirituality. Of no avail is prayer or seek-and-find; Just see Him very near, and life is replete.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Your altar

(192)  Manasa mandire eso prabhu krpa kare

Lord, kindly come into the temple of my mind; I've been keeping Your altar adorned. You come in human form from the formless world; Please take Your seat nearer by. I kindle my life's lamp and perform árati,[1] Saturating the offering with sweet fragrance of mind. The budding thousand-petaled flower of my soul Is the bouquet I have brought today. Without vanity of knowledge or burden of pride, I bear a buoyant heart.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Paradise unveiled

(191)  Tumi puspete madhu enecho

You have carried nectar to flowers; You have bestowed melody on music. With the ocean of light's billowing rays You have undulated the universe. In the silent moonlit night, You have sung the song of consciousness. Inside the cavern of utter darkness, You have delivered awakening. You are in every place and every time– Every time that was and ever will be. Dwelling in the core of every heart and mind, You sing the song of infinity. For every yearning and every acquisition, You have brought heaven.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Lost and found

(190)  Campaka vane haraye phelechi

In the magnolia grove I have mislaid My incomplete poem. To the sweet aroma I concede defeat. Seeking not within, I moved about without— I did not heed Your message. Now all pains embedded in heart's core, All words— they have vanished. Whose fragrance wrought this transformation. I cannot fathom. My verse, my song— They are not mine, I know that.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

My wicker basket

(189)  Duhkhera sathii tumi sukhera bandhu tumi

In grief You are my companion, in joy You are my friend; Do not thrust me from Your view. When tears burst from pain or pleasure, Do not leave me unattended. In the chronic cadence of dance, safeguard my garland; Keep an eye on the colored flowers that fill my wicker basket. Approaching with a tender smile, take them away with love— Never hesitate or be reluctant. Though You might want what I cannot give, Do not disdain what I can commit.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Just before dawn

(188)  Tumi nije ele dhara dile

You came in person and captured my heart— Why You did so, I don't know. You came upon this dusty earth— Why You did so, I don't grasp. For many an age, night and day, I felt let down in light and shade. So much time elapsed— Do You realize that? In the still of night You came at last To strum the strings of my heart, To make a flower blossom in hard rock, To offer enlightenment.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Soulmate attraction

(187)  Tomake ceyechi ceyechi sab kaje

In all my deeds, I have always longed for You, Mindful that Your image should ever be enthroned in my heart. Lord, I came to this world to keep busy with Your work, To remain afloat on the stream of Your contemplation. That I may go forth and proclaim a small particle of Your grace, Let Your melody ever resound in my mind. On lonely nights, in company with the moon and stars, May the peacock of my mind dance with tail outspread.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

My most intimate Lord

(186)  Eso amar mane baso amar mane

Enter my mind; sit in my mind— Oh Lord, say something in my mind. Oh my most intimate Lord, Enter my cogitation, enter my meditation. Infatuation with sweet and flawless beauty, Ensnarement in the realm of alluring dreams, Intoxication with floral fragrance— Come, put an end to my yearning. With more and more songs in more rhythms and melodies, Enter, Lord, into every corner of my mind.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

On a boat of songs

(185)  Diner aloy ganer tarii

In the light of day, a boat of songs I floated toward the distant sky So that in darkness You I might get nearby. With the undulation of waves, a rhythm emerges; It seemed to pacify my mind. You went to a distant place, Leaving only footprints on all sides behind. Today, with starsong, mind, and earnest desire, Myself I will row that flower-fragrant boat.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Ankle bells and ambrosial smells

(184)  Runu jhunu jhunu rave pranbhara saorabhe

With a sweet jingling sound and a fragrance most pleasing, He came, overwhelming my heart. The humming of lyres made me yearn For that charming one[1] Who holds the core of my mind. Eradicate all my impurities; Eliminate my weakness for matter. Obliterate all pain of deprivation and separation On beholding the charming one in His myriad forms. Today, every language and every dialect is speechless, As, time and again, I remember the Stealer of Hearts.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Sum of my knowledge

(183)  Ganer jagat kache peyechi

I have come to the world of music. My old life is forgotten. Attaining You, I attain everything; So all child's play – that I've set aside. The moth races toward a lamp, Not knowing she flies to the face of death. Forgetting soul to run after matter, This is death – that I've realized. I should rush only in Your direction. I should be immersed only in Your songs. For all desires and all attainments, You're the last word – that's the gist of what I've learned.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

What unity looks like

(182)  Sabar citta aj eki sure udgiita

Today, the collective mind sings out only one melody, Conveying the reflection of the One, everybody is dancing. In the boundless affection of the One, in the sweet abode of the One, With faces gazing in the same direction, we race forward. In the love tie of the One, binding us now and after this world, In the ambrosial stream of the One, everybody is moving in harmony. By the grace and devotion of all, by the utter ecstasy of all, By carrying everyone together, a stream of nectar showers down.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Ruler of the formless

(181)  Tumi nikata haite aro nikatete

From close You draw still closer— Come into the core of my heart. In every heartbeat thrill me With Your ever-new attire. Formerly incorporeal, You have taken shape, Ruler of the formless. Today, all my longings are fulfilled; My quest is complete. Today, everyone wants a life filled by You; They crave You in every occupation. Without You, one has nothing. The entire universe is uncertain.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

My indomitable heart

(180)  Supta hrday jagiya utheche

My dormant heart has risen; She is moving ahead toward You. All obstacles and all fetters Are rent as she goes forward with song after song. No infatuation can bind her; No material object can impede her. Every infatuation and all inanimation Are demolished as she proceeds toward You. Against the vigor of a mighty elephant, How much power to restrain do cobwebs have? Effortlessly rejecting them, She goes on, attracted by the Great.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Just between us

(179)  Dhara dile tumi prabhu

Having captured my heart, You are my master. Amid stormy hurricanes, Stay in the white lotus of my mind Every instant, age after age. Many a twilight and crimson dawn, And many a moonlit night have passed. Now is the time, my Lord of Light, For meditation on that which transcends time. Into my heart and mind, Privately You came. The secret of Your arrival Was not informed to anyone.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Lost in You

(178)  Tomari deoya mane

With the mind given by You, In contemplation of You, My days and nights pass by. You are my polestar— You never guide astray. So, my everything races toward You. With the life given by You, Seated in Your meditation pose,[1] My stream of life gets lost in Your stream. Everyone is in Your mind, And You are in everyone's mind. So, all my thoughts mingle with You.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Just say no

(177)  Tava patha ceye achi

I am longing for Your advent— Don't You know that? So many days have gone by. So many nights have been lost. Nonetheless, alert I wait, I await. What is this sport of Yours, Every day, always new? You have conceived such alluring temptations, But I am not diverted by Your game. Triumph will be mine When You appear before me.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

We go on

(176)  Jiivanta nay theme thaka bhai

Brother, life does not cease; We go on, dancing toward the formless. We come not to weep, But to express rhythm and song. A distant nebula crosses the heavens, And mind's pendant oscillates in that cadence. A mote of dust travels in a flash, And from the heart of straw springs a blade of grass. With vigorous zeal and radiant spirit, We go on, trampling despair beneath our feet. Brother, life is not stopping.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Black woven into black

(140)  Acho kabariiveniite kalo dor haye

You are the black ribbon in my braids, Black woven into black. You are in my eyeliner and in the bindi on my forehead. You are close, yet I do not see You. This odd dalliance, this game of hide-and-seek... Lord, I don't understand why it happens In my braids. My happiness is endless. I have got You so close; My happiness is endless. I always fear that I may lose You. Why I fear, I do not know. When I think I'll not worry, the more I worry. Why I fret, I do not know. I always fear that I may lose You. Why I fear, I do not know. For ages, I have anxiously awaited The flame of my life ignited, The wings of my mind extended. My beaming Lord, come stand before me, Striding with gentle footsteps, Trod by Your rosy feet. You are the black ribbon in my braids, Black woven into black. In the black dot[1] on my forehead And in my every pore, You are wed.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Devastating flute

(139)  Tumi esechile niirava nishiithe

On a silent night You came To illuminate the vault of my heart. Though I had no merit, still You came. You taught me to love, To love all living beings. When I forget much, In your clasp I am clutched. When I forget much, What I cannot forget Is Your devastating flute. Your flute overflows the banks of my heart; Filling me with laughter, it removes my tears. Devastating is Your smile. Breathtaking is Your smile. Breathtaking is Your flute. You are in all seasons on all days; In my life, You pervade. You are in every atom of every body; In my heart, You pervade. You pervade... In my affinities, you pervade. On a silent night You came To illuminate all that is mine. Though I had no merit, still You came. You taught me to love, To love everything.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

The cloud of dharma

(138)  Ami jedike takai heri o rupa keval

Wherever I look, I see only His form. In both outer and inner worlds, He shines brightly. In the air and sky, He floats serenely. In flowers, He smiles with magical sweetness. In my heart, He sings in an unspoken tongue. In dance, He draws near with dulcet steps. How can I forget Him? Ever He rocks the cradle of the seven realms.[1] If to hide, I go to mountain caves, If to be obscure, I go dressed in blue to the blue sky— Wherever I look, He is there, around me. He smiles even in the black pupil of my eyes. Whenever I try to forget Him, I do not forget— I do not forget. To leave Him and go on living, how hard it is— How hard it is. Wherever I look, I see only His form. He is inside me, smiling brightly.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

A small abode

(137)  Beshii kichu nahi cai

We don't want anything more— We want a little love and a small abode, A place to hide our head from sun, rain, and snow. Knowingly, we will never neglect you. Just as we keep ourselves, we will keep this house of ours. We want a peaceful, love-filled nest— That is all we ask. In destructive thunderstorms, you are our protector; In kinship, you are our father. Unbounded cordiality and a peerless dwelling May we ever get.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Dear trees

(136)  Ajker ei shishutaru

Today's tender trees— Their fruits, flowers, and heaps of leaves Will blanket the scorched wasteland. Sprinkling water with loving solicitation, We will all nurture you. In rain and storm, disease and any affliction, Trees, we are with you. Let the saline gray be covered. Let desert-like thirst be quenched. Let a sweet green bathe Every barren of the universe.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Boundless joy

(135)  Janmadine ei shubha ksane

On this auspicious occasion of Your birthday, Life is filled with boundless joy. Every atom and every molecule Vibrates with new color and fragrance. Flushed with happiness, oblivious to self, The minds of all are filled with ecstasy. For You alone, overflowing hearts Frolic in fascination. Out of love, You came and remained near. With lustrous beauty, you reside in the joy of all.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

If not for You

(134)  Janama lagane

At the auspicious moment of Your birth, The light of dawn Came in new form, inspiring new hope. All desires, all attainments Were consummated in the lambent blue sky. Today, the birds, how they do speak!. The trees, they bow under fruit and flower. Today, in the sweet breeze of a vibrant forest, Everyone dances in fresh delight. Today, with lively joy and pleasing song, Fulfillment has come in a new atmosphere.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

On Your auspicious birthday

(133)  Tava shubha janmadine

On Your auspicious birthday, The dawn's light comes with new grace, Shining every moment in a new way. In the sky and air today, nectar abounds. In the flood of joy, my overflowing heart Floats to an unknown place. Today, in the attractive urge for bliss, Sweet memories are called to mind. Today, in the blue sky and refreshing breeze, Birds go on singing, Trees in bloom smile with their flowers— A flood of sweetness flows. Today, in the presence of all, in the midst of all, In the core of my heart, I have realized Thee.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Birthday pledge

(132)  Janmatithite nutaner srote

On my birthday,[1] in the current of the new, May I realize the light of novelty. Lord of poetic rhapsody, Fill me with new vitality. Whatever is given I'll take with both hands. Whatever is heard I'll treasure in my heart. Your life I'll devote to You. In Your name let me be immersed. Fresh is the tender new leaf; From red it has gone green. With new power and new ability, I would engage in service to all. No longer will I sing songs of despair. Never will I deem life a burden. In myriad rhythms and sweet jubilation, Your message I will convey.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Within this ambit

(131)  Nava varsa elo aji

A new year came today, Giving joy to everyone. By fruits and flowers, leaves and sap, It elated the mind with fragrance. Those who have gone to a distant place, From far to still farther, They live on In the resounding nectar of melody. Today, in the stream of melody, their blessing— May it inspire movement on the path. The rotation of six seasons,[1] The rise and fall of polar ice caps— Within this ambit, Let us dedicate our lives to the welfare of all.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

New year, new joy, new life

Sonalii Bhor performed by
Satyasandha Hazarika

(130)  Sonalii bhor jiivane mor
 

The golden dawn of my life, Is it appearing another time? Countless pains, countless laments, Countless shames— the gloom is rent. So many eves, so many morns, So many fall and spring nights, So many hopes and expectations— Swept away on a stream of tears. The morning sun lights up the eastern sky. The air is suffused with flower fragrance. In the new joy of the new year, All memories of affliction dissipate.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

The stream of melody

(129)  Surer dhara egiye cale

The stream of melody goes forward, Advancing with the stream of life. Hurricanes and thundering affection, Love and sweet habitation— All is bound in melody; In melody it's immersed. The new light of the new year Has blended her melody with Yours. Nothing is out of tune In the realm of divine sport. Abiding friend, I know You are near, Carrying the weight of my pleasure and pain. When thinking of You, I float on Your current, In Your smile on the dawn of a new year.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Let it be

(128)  Vatsar nava vatsar tumi

Year, you are a new year. You bring universal welfare. Beckoning with a new beginning Are new dawns for new people. Let the trees and creepers be plushly green. Let the wild animals be secure. Let the birds fill their throats with nectar, And in all directions let them take wing. Let the differences among humans disappear. Let the wastage of intellect be prevented. Let the power of destructive forces Be vanquished everywhere.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

The new

(127)  Ek nutaner sur aji bajalo bajalo

A melody of the new rings out today, Making flowers sway. The world dresses in fresh apparel; Gone are all heart's troubles. Today, no obstacles impede our progress. Our spirited songs are sung in one tune. Dismissing all differences, united and laughing, Come, let us bring everyone forward together. In the rhythm of dance, with boundless bliss, In the fragrant aroma of life's pollen, In this atmosphere of new year's delight, Where is He who for Whom every heart capers, Every mind hankers?

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Lifeyears

(126)  Ek parikramar halo anta

One rotation[1] is over. The days[2] flow on; The year goes by. So many flowers fall; So many fruits drop. The year goes by. Through many ardent songs, Through many anxious tears, With my life the year did blend. Alas, today, it's lost; It passes into oblivion. Those who come, come to go; Those who go, go to come. Those who float into the blue yonder— They come again. They come in new form. One rotation is over.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Who has come?

(125)  Aj akashe tarar mela

Today, in the sky there's a festival of stars; The world is enraptured. In the flower fragrance of the thrilling air, Everyone is filled with glee. Today, a stream of light is flowing; In joy, the nightingale sings.[1] Today, with the sweet jingling of rosy feet, Who has come, filling my heart? Today, a stream of nectar is flowing; In joy, the three worlds[2] sing. Today, coating all fervor with sweetness, Who has come, filling my mind?

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Silvery, sugary clouds

(124)  Sharat tomar surer mayay

Autumn, your magical, musical tones Have thrilled both the sky and the air. The loosing of nectar from the blue yonder, Has colored the life of this world. Rivers that are full of water, Vegetation that is green, Fruits and flowers that sweetly scent Have inspired a golden dream. In the silvery, sugary clouds, All hopes are awakened— All aspirations race apace. Everything dances toward Him.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording