Abstracted

(785)  Ami esechi tomari ashe

I have come in hope of You only...
Attached to You exclusively,
To being only at Your lotus feet.

With liiila's honey the world You've filled...
Out of view Yourself You've kept concealed;
But from afar You summon me, smiling and smiling.

Oh that smile upon Your lips,
Your limitless assortment of expressions...
My heart and mind lost worldly interest;
On some unknown stream I float adrift.

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Serenade

(784)  Tomare pavar ashe tomare pete pashe

In the hope of gaining You, to get You close-by,
I sing to Your picture, etched upon the mirror of my mind.
With Your kindly eyes, covered in the nectar of affection,
You once gazed in my direction; that I never forget.

Time after time, for Your work I've come into the world;
Where I went when my task was done, that I don't remember.

Again I've arrived, Your flute I've heard once more;
Responding to Your call, I move about, belting out Your song.

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Centerpiece

(783)  Ogo priya ogo priya, tomay petei bence achi ami

Oh my Beloved, my Dearest Dear,
Just to obtain You I am living.
Oh my Heart's Sweetness, my Darling Sweetheart,
For You my days and nights befall.

The konokchapa buds, sweet scent exuding,
Lift only Your words up to my ears.
With a garland of jasmine at evening,
Your radiant beauty descends on me.

Monsoon screwpine in company of the kadam,
And Fall shephali that delight with their scent,
They tell the same story on a pleasant wind...
You are the central gem in all their hymns;
You are the unknown and anonymous friend.

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In the valley of the shadow of death

(782)  Tomare ke cinite pare balo

Pray tell, with You who can be familiar?
On Your own path You march ever onward,
For any impediment You do not falter.

Ever You remain with everyone;
You never scorn even one agent.
As our assistant in righteous deeds,
You kindle light in every psyche.

In burning fire and heat from the sun,
In the chill of snow-capped mountains,
In the gloom of ocean deeps,
You surge with the compassion of a deer.

Like the shade of a tree, with dying's illusion,
You pour nectar into the human heart.

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Recreator

(781)  Ami tomar liila dekhe mugdha halam

Seeing Your game, fascinated I became;
In Your sport I got lost.
Lord of the universe, You know sundry matters;
Many things You break only to bring in new shape.

By Your worldly gimmicks, I got ensnared;
By Your holy grace, I also escaped.

Oh Darling, in my heart You've taken seat;
Of You only I now think.
By Your love I obtained Thee;
So, a million times I bow and touch Your feet.

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Long ago and far away

(780)  Kon atiite sei kon atiite

In what yesteryear, on what ancient day,
With sweet nectar from Your psyche,
Did You build this lovely world?
Oh Lord,^[1] Your cognition and intuition
Made a star rise in the vast blue sky.

By Your hidden will, a ship travels upstream;
You'd made it sail, heeding no warning.
In the cycle of Your maya, the manifestation of Your liila,
With the breath of life You imbued every place, big and small.

In the hoary past You were, and at present You are,
Ever You've endured, etching an image of the future.
For everybody You're the hymn and its satisfaction;
As everyone's sweet recollection, You entered our hearts.

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Honeybee

(779)  Ogo madhupa tumi eso amar kache

Oh Honeybee, please come close to me;
See that now my nectar's almost spent.
You're the moon of the sky, I'm an earthly light;
My effulgence, it gets lost in the vast firmament.

Darling, my stored-up nectar, it was all for You,
At every moment that it's been accrued.
My beguiled heart craves only Thee,
But every second it stays worried.
You did not come, affording Your embrace;
Contemplating You, minds chase the Uncontained.

Against the vast sky my lamp of hope is trivial indeed;
But still You know this love of mine is not small at all.
Favor You did not show to me, as You did not arrive;
You never made me realize that nothing ever dies.

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Regret

(778)  Amar ghare tumi ele

In my shrine You arrived;
So why then did You go?
If leaving was Your desire,
Why did You come like so.

The stars flash in the firmament;
You set alight a thousand gems.
Surrounding me, they all said:
"How could you let Him depart...
He should come again."

Weeping, the jasmines^[1] sprawl in the dust;
With the dew they do not open up.
The lilies of the pond don't blossom,
Even now they sob.

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We are one

(777)  Tomari bharasay majh dariyay

Relying on You only amid the sea,
My ship of life keeps sailing.
It does not halt for opposition,
Nor does it ever lament.

You're the fountainhead of mercy;
Ever I remember You, and I bow before Thee.
By Your blessing I move on with a smile upon my face,
Carrying along with me a speck of Your divine grace.

With Your music and Your love sublime,
A sweetness accrues to the pollen of my life.
Taking Your holy name and Your songs ever singing,
I have realized You to be the very best of me.

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How sweet it is

(776)  Man jadi mor kabhu bheunge jay

Any time my heart gets broken,
Please remain, Lord; stay by my side.
When sin's darkness wants to invite;
Please surround me with Your light.

On monsoon nights or in blizzard winds,
In panic should I weep from fear,
Then, Your kind hand touching me gently,
With a look of love kindly glance at me.

Days come and go wreathed by lightbeams,
Drifting downstream to the bank of the sea.
Giving me space on Your holy ferry,
With warm affection, cover me with honey.

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His blessing

(775)  Amar jiivan dhanya karecho

Fortunate You have made my life,
Awarding Your unbounded love.
Rhythm You've imbued for my delight,
Under pretext of Your peerless sport.

Darling, You have come with kinship's honey
To fill me with the light of love only.
Expanding and uplifting psyche,
You've infused endless energy.

You ask for naught, and You take nothing;
Knowing my flaws so many, You don't scorn me...
You said to go ahead, righteous path adhering.
On a stream of light You did manifest;
The lamp eternal You had kindled.

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Peevish

(774)  Tomari ashay din gune jai

Hoping for You only I've been counting days,
But into my mind's heaven You did not gaze.
Now I stand before You with pain-filled psyche,
Wanting to go near yet unable to proceed.

My heart's Jamuna^[1] has gone dry;
My heartstrings, they have all been sliced.
With the pain of non-attainment, tears
Rose in my eyes; but You did not realize.

You go on in perpetual dance cadence,
Wanting to ignore all hearts estranged.
You cast adrift all words of tears;
My heart's message, You did not hear.

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God's great plan

(773)  Bakuler phulguli jhare pareche

The bakul flowers have dropped to the ground.
Those tiny sparks of hope have all gone out,
But to some place their pollen's floated away.

With and without light Your game goes on;
Ever You've been playing with everyone.
Sometimes honey You give; sometimes You but take it...
When flowers fall, we might get fruit.

Your chariot wheels are always spinning;
From pleasure to pain they're rotating.
That much I realize, and so is it any surprise...
Lo, the fallen bakul have returned on Your garland.

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The eternal choice

(772)  Surataraunge mohana raune

With waves of melody and alluring colors,
In what way did You brighten this world?
Tell me please, oh please tell me.
With sweet elements in pleasing shapes,
For everyone Your divine sport takes place.

On earth You gave delight with moonlit nights
And with golden mornings' crimson glow.
Magnolia buds, rituals for brides...
You touched everyone, making them Your own.

With rhythms and melodies You swung heaven;
With rainbow colors the sky You did paint.
Behind a veil You hid from everyone
With the diverse gist of Your wonderful game.

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Lost for words

(771)  Eso tumi eso eso amar mane

Lord, come, please come, come into my heart;
With rhythm and song into my sweet arbor,
Lord, please come in person.

My stream of tunes rides upon Your essence of nectar;
You are my one and only goal, Yourself and none other.
Lost for words, my thoughts all move with that objective only;
In search of language, they return lackadaisically.

My days transpire, contemplating Thee...
Feelings of pleasure and pain, in You they blend,
In Your forms and colors, in Your warm affection,
In Your constant meditation, oh Wish-Fulfilling Tree.

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On a sea of grace

(770)  Tomar bharasay tarii mor bhese jay

On faith in You my ship is sailing;
Oh my ship, on Your support does it rely.
With just Your name, my days go by;
Time after time, in my mind I invoke Thee.

In the dark night, You are my cynosure;
Never do You leave me lost as to the way.
In monsoon rain and gusty hurricane,
Oh I look, I look in Your direction.

With mountains hard to cross, their lofty peaks,
By Your power, I can climb over.
In my heart, You I cherish and bow before;
Speaking candidly, I don't feel fear.

In bad days of adversity, in good days of prosperity,
Along with everybody, You enfold and protect me.

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He rises

(769)  Giitimainjusa raune rauna usa

Your casket of songs paints the crimson dawn;
You are present, concealed from us all.
On this golden morn in the vast blue sky,
With a host of stars, You've smiled.

On distant horizons that smile's poured down,
Your heart forever expanding without bounds.
On each margin of every apprehension,
Granting ample hope, You've danced.

A speck of Your love in the sea of light,
With a sweet pitch, fills to high tide.
In Your atmosphere and on Your winds,
Reverberating, You've arisen.

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Light in the dark

(768)  Manav maniisa manthan kari

Churning the intellect of the human race,
In Your form effulgent, You granted embrace.
From the ocean of light with a series of waves,
Whatever was gloomy, You washed it away.

By wringing hearts full of loving thoughts,
A precious sea of nectar was drawn forth.
With its new flavor and new honeyed scent,
The hope of salvation You awakened.

Having given everything but Your identity,
From us all You kept concealed behind a screen.
With songs sublime of and beyond empirical sphere,
The message of heaven You made us hear.

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Seen and unseen

(767)  Jyotir sayare puva ambare

With the sea of light in eastern sky,
Effulgent One, You reveal Yourself.
Mid the blaze of Your heart-flames,
You speak with a sweet smile.

The gates in Your courtyard are all unbarred;
Your invite is extremely liberal and large.
Into collective mind and into everybody,
Invisibly, You exude a most exquisite beauty.

In untold colors and forms, You manifest;
Your chariot never comes to a rest.
Veiled by liila, from all You are concealed;
And yet in every heart You sing.

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Imitating His perseverance

(766)  Tomare bhalabese tomare paoyar ashe

Loving You and hoping for Your attainment,
One hundred hurdles I am ready to fight.
Having sung Your songs and viewed Your path,
Thinking only of You I bide day and night.

I don't know if indeed You love me,
If in Your heart rings out my agony.
You are the quintessence; so, without Thee,
Nothing else I know... I bow to You perpetually.

You've always been within Creation as the Unseen;
The universe You've kept afloat upon heavenly stream.
Ever You've accompanied each and everybody,
Never stopping, disregarding fatigue.

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Reciprocity

(765)  Ami tomar haye gechi

Yours I have become;
When will You be mine?
I am dancing to Your pulse;
In my heart, won't You arrive?

Stars sparkle upon the heavens blue—
With that firmament they are fused.
Among the stars the sky's there too;
Alas, who will discern this truth?

My eyes are wide but heavy with tears,
Maddened by maya and attachment-smeared.
Keeping in view my deepmost feelings,
When will You perform the tune of infinity?

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Even if

(764)  Tomar lagi nishi din

For Your sake, night and day,
My eyes are spilling,
Ever filling, never soothed...
Unconsoled, what can I do?

With rainclouds, the peacock dances
In the midst of lightning flashes.
But though near to my dark heart
You may be got, feel it I just cannot.

Even sensing that I won't succeed,
At a distance this song I'll sing.
From my soul its lyrics I bring
In only Your cadence and melody.

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After the flood

(763)  Ajana pathik eseche alo jveleche

The Unknown Traveler has arrived; He has struck a light
In this hut of mine.
He scatters pearls with His smile; whatever His device,
His works are benign.

The stupor is demolished with music so pleasant,
With moonlight in our lives made radiant.
A monsoon descends with attraction of affection;
In this deluge, the heart of everyone is buoyant.

Know He does how to give love;
He chooses not the bad or good.
He sees not what is white or black,
Granting in full boundless compassion.

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The goal of life

(762)  Tomay ghire jata asha

On You all hopes rely
With You all fancies fly.
Light in the dark, You lift black melancholy;
You give out love unconditionally.

The persons who want to forget You,
In Your mind there's room for them too.
And those who cannot ever neglect You,
With such persons You commune.

With maya You've created the universe;
With transcendence of maya You inspire us.
In everything You've put form and color;
Then You set a higher goal to aim for.

To hamper You in each phase of life,
The wicked constantly conspire.

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Priorities

(761)  Madhura banshiite madhura hasite

With sweet flute and sweet smile,
Who is He Who won my mind?
Uninvited He comes, He comes not summoned;
Exquisite are such ties of love.

Wondrous are the looks from His eyes;
Wondrous are His honeyed lips.
Wondrous His world-filling loveliness;
He brings high tide to the sea of light.

I can withstand insults innumerable;
His pristine lotus feet, to them I cling.
Because of Him, to die I do not fear;
His altar transcends one and all.

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Suppressed grief

(760)  Diip nive geche damka haoyay

My lantern's been extinguished due to gusty wind;
My blossom's fallen off due to burning heat.
My sacred artwork is all faded now;
In my mental mirror, where art Thou?

I listen for Your footsteps with my ear to the ground,
But I'm not sure if You arrived at this fateful hour.

Dismissing thorns I've trampled underfoot,
Always, in my mind, their existence I overlook.
And so heart's language languishes from suppressed grief,
Obtaining no occasion for its speech.

Today, in royal garb please come to me, sweetly entrancing;
Let me express my feelings without faltering.

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News from Vraj

(759)  Vrajer se din haraiya geche

The days of Vraj are gone;
Vraj Gopal^[1] renounced his home.
The sweetness of Vraj has been spread;
Around the whole world light was shed...
Light was shed, yes, light was shed.

At Vraj, the wives don't light their lamps at dusk,
And in the season of monsoons, the niip flowers never bloom.
At Vraj, the women, a red bindi,
They don't put on; rather, they weep silently...
Bereft of speech, indeed, bereft of speech.

At Vraj, the boys don't play their games;
And the milch cows take no grass in their mouths.
Timid does, on their eyes no longer falls
Bewitching lampblack full of ambrosia.

The milkmaids are no longer churning curd;
Ever they seek the butter-thief.^[2]
Today, around their waists they wrap no ornamental girdle;
Instead, they only beat their heads.

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Tree of life

(758)  Ele tumi ele ele prabhu

You appeared, Lord, You appeared,
Hearing my keen invitation.
You're the tree of life, I'm a dry wasteland;
Yet in my heart You took Your seat.

Before You do I submit;
To You my all I commit.
What I deemed mine for a long time,
I have given it to Thee.

On the far blue sky, Your lovely form laughs;
On the gentle breeze, a cheery fragrance wafts.
Between us, the distance that exists,
Today, let it be finished.
What I've given, it is nothing;
What I've gained is everlasting...
Any measure it exceeds.

In Your innate wisdom accept my sincerity;
My deep-seated pain, please fill with melody.
With Your elegant tunes, Your meter and lyrics,
Invigorate the whole universe.

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Everybody is beautiful

(757)  Tumi vishvake dola dile

You gave a shake to the world;
You bored into its inner life.
For the welfare of those despised,
You descended upon this earth.

You gave a shake in creepers and herbs,
In pollen's body in flowerbuds.
Pervading a perplexed world,
You came down with exquisite beauty;
And into that beauty You infused melody.

With Your life, a life was had by everyone;
With Your glow, a shine appeared upon the world.
Those who were slighted came to know...
They understood that no one's worth is low;
And with that knowledge You made ambrosia flow.

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Encore

(756)  Tumi je path dhariya esechile

The path You took when You came,
Even now its sweet scent remains.
The smile that You let drop,
Even now its vibration romps.

You came with perfumed lyrics and rhythmic tunes;
In concert with each breath of life You moved.
Why did You gaze in my direction...
That glance of Yours abides in my heart's core.

Just a trace of Your grace, I wanted and received;
My greatest accomplishment was simply Your caprice.
Even now, my sense of that attainment has not passed;
I live in the fond hope of achieving it again.

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