A Cross-Sectional Contour
The cover is designed and drawn by the present author. The Spring is imagined as a young boy with a bunch of red Krishnachurha flower on his ear, and bow and arrows like Indian Cupid Madan. The color green in the background, represents the Spring and the color gray does so the Winter.
Front Matters [6 pages]
|
This section contains |
the title pages, | the preface, | a portrait of the Poet, | and the contents of the book. |
PART ONE
Rabindranath Tagore [8 pages]
This part is devoted to describe the meaningful life and the specialty of the great poet as a dramatist as well as composer. This part has three sections.
Section 1: In this section the life and achievement of the great poet has been described. A photograph of the poet is attached.
Section 2: This is a short account of his dramatic achievements with special emphasis on Symbolic Dramas.
Section 3: In this section, Tagore’s musical styles have been studied with the help of the expert opinions in the field.
PART TWO
The Main Texts [44 pages]
This part is the original text of the play by Rabindranath Tagore. It has five divisions. The first of those is the prelude in which the main play consisting of four acts, is nested.
Introduction: (The Prelude: There is no song in the prelude.) The king is deeply depressed with the thought of death and asks help from Srutibhusan, the Pundit to get mental peace. He does not find any interest in any of his royal duties. But Kabishekhar, the court poet assures the king that he would get the peace if he minds his regular work. To enliven his spirit, the poet produces a play depicting ‘disrobing the winter’, without any philosophy but full of exquisite songs to rejuvenate his mind.
Act I: The Heralds of Spring are abroad. There are songs in the rustling Bamboo leaves, in the birds’ and blossoming branches. There are seven songs. The time is morning; a band of youth with Chandra, Dada and Leader is planning a play. The Leader suggests the play of capturing the Old Man and to make him join the Spring festival.
Act II: Spring’s Heralds try to rob Winter of his outfit of age. There are six songs. The time is noon; the youths are asking each and everyone they meet,– the Ferryman, the Watchman, the Oilman and other villagers, if he met the Old Man. Then comes Dada. They are more interested to listen to Dada’s verses of wisdom than to find the Old Man. People give all vague and absurd accounts of the Old Man. They continue their search.
Act III: Winter is being unmasked; his hidden youth about to be disclosed. There are four songs. The time is evening; still the youths are unable to trace the Old Man. Doubt casts its dark shadow over their minds. With no one to lead, they feel exhausted and finished with despair and doubt. All on a sudden Chandra comes with a Blind Minstrel. They get back their spirit and the Blind Minstrel leads them.
Act IV: There enter a troupe of young things, and they introduce them- selves in a song. There are eleven songs. The time is night; the band of youth eagerly wait for Chandra who enters the dark cave. At last Chandra comes out of the cave with the Leader, whom the young folks, seeing in mist of dust, mistook as the Old Man and imagined him to be a strange creature! But when they face him in the front, they have no doubt that the same Old Man of Winter is the ever-young Spring!
PART THREE
The Songs with Alphanumeric Notations [74 pages]
This part has 28 sections consisting one each of following songs, with their respective Bengali song equivalents and notations are included.
| Act I: | Song 01 | O South Wind, the Wanderer, come and rock me | Ogo dakhin haaoya, o pathhik haaoya, | ||
| Song 02 | The sky pours its light into our hearts, | Aakaash aamaay vorlo aaloy, | |||
| Song 03 | My shadow dances in your waves, | Ogo nadee aapon-begey paagolpaaraa, | |||
| Song 04 | The fire of April leaps from forest to forest, | Orey vaai, faagoon legechhey boney boney | |||
| Song 05 | We are free, my friends, from the fear of work, | Moder jyamon khyalaa, themni rey kaaj, | |||
| Song 06 | Our hair shall never turn grey, never. | Aamaader paakbenaa chool | |||
| Song 07 |
We are out on our way and we fear not the Robber, |
Aamaader voy kaahaarey, |
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| ACT II: | Song 01 | We seek our playmates, making them up | Aamraa khunji khyalaar saathhi | ||
| Song 02 | Leave me, let me go. | Chhaarhgo thoraa chaarhgo | |||
| Song 03 | Life's spies are we, lurking in ambush everywhere | Aamraa noothan praaner chaur | |||
| Song 04 | The Piper pipes in the centre, hidden from sight | Aamaader paarhaay paarhaay khepiye | |||
| Song 05 | We move and move without rest, | Chauli go chauli go jaai go chauley | |||
| Song 06 |
We are neither too good nor wise, |
Vaalo maanoosh naui rey moraa, |
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| Act III: | Song 01 | How grave he looks, how laughably old, | Oar vaab dekhey paay haashi | ||
| Song 02 | The time comes when the world shall know | Aar naai jey deri,naai jey deri | |||
| Song 03 | We cling to our seats and never stir, | Moraa chaulbo naa, | |||
| Song 04 |
Gently, my friend, gently walk to your silent chamber |
Dhirey, bondhoo, dhirey, chaulo thomaar bijaun mandirey |
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| Act IV: | Song 01 | Again and again we say, 'Goodbye' | Bidaay niye giyechhilem baarey baa | ||
| Song 02 | Do you own defeat at the hand of youth? | Ebaar tho joubaner kaachhey menechho haar | |||
| Song 03 | We waited by the wayside counting moments | Yatho din jey bosey chhilem pauth cheye | |||
| Song 04 | Did you leave behind you your love, | Thooi feley eshechhis kaarey | |||
| Song 05 | I shall crown you with my garland, | Aami jaabo naa go omni chauley, | |||
| Song 06 | Let me give my all to him, | Sabbai jaarey saub dithechey | |||
| Song 07 | The Spring flowers have woven my wreath | Basanthey fool gaanthhlo aamaar | |||
| Song 08 | When there was light in my world | Chokher aaloy dekhey chilem | |||
| Song 09 | Victory to thee, victory forever, | Haubey joy haubey joy rey | |||
| Song 10 | I lose thee, to find thee again and again, | Thomaay natoon kaurey paabo boley | |||
| Song 11 | Come and rejoice, for April is awake | Aay rey thaubey maath rey saubey aanandey |
(i) songs in English from the play followed by their
(ii) respective original Bengali song equivalents [in Roman scripts] and
(iii) alphanumeric notations with alternative tune and/or rhythm selections whenever applicable.
[To ensure correct accent and acurate tunes of the original Bengali songs, the learners may visit the Web-site www.viswayan.com].
PART FOUR
Back Matters [8 pages]
This part consists of all back matters. There are three appendices and two indices and a detailed bibliography.
Appendix A: Pronunciation Key – this appendix describes a pronunciation key, which is different from regular phonetics.
Appendix B: Use and Interpretation of Alphanumeric Notation -- this appendix explains how to use this book and interprets the alphanumeric notations.
Appendik C: Notations of Thaals -- this appendix presents the notations of six Taals [rhythm patterns] added to the songs of this book such as Dadra, Shashthitaal, Theora, Kaharwa, Jhanptaal and Threetaal.
Bibliography: This gives a list of reference materials with names of writer/editor, publisher and date of first publications.
Index I: English versions of songs in alphabetic order
Index II: Bengali versions of songs [Roman scripts] in alphabetic order with page numbers and makers of original notations.
Glossary: Description of the Indian flowers appearing in this book, in short.
The back cover contains some information about this book as well as those of the author's other works.
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