August 28, 2003
madhushaala - Part 2
The song of life continues... (you might also want to check out madhushaala - Part 1; Look for a link to your left)
Stanza 17:
Translation (MB-RSV):
He who has calcined all the creeds
With fire from his burning breast,
Who quits the temple, mosque and church
A drunken heretic, unblest,
Who sees the snares, and now comes running
From Pandit's, Priest's and Mullah's cunning,
He, and he only, shall today
Be in my House a welcome Guest.
My translation:
he whose inner inferno, has
reduced to ashes every religious text
he who, inebriated, insolent, has
broken past temple, masjid, church
he who, tipsy, trenchant, has
cut through the noose laid by priest, moulvi, pastor
he is the the only one
welcome today into my tavern
Stanza 18:
Translation (MB-RSV):
Who has not kissed with trembling lips
The juice of apple-tree and vine,
Who, drinking, has not felt such joy
That trembling was its outward sigh.
Who has not drawn the Maiden, blushing,
Close and then closer still to crushing,
Wasting his fragile House of Life
Has never known the House of Wine.
My translation:
he who has not kissed
with salivating lips,
the soothing spirit;
he who has not cupped
with tremulous hands,
the wine goblet;
he who has not drawn
closer by her hand,
the coy wine-maiden;
has withered, wasted
tender life itself,
this House of Wine
Stanza 19:
Translation (MB-RSV):
The Saki seems to pray; the Wine
Seems water drawn at Ganga's brink;
Like prayers upon a rosary
I hear the Goblets when they clink;
This is a mantra we are chanting,
"Take this!" "take more!" -- by which enchanting
Shiva incarnate moves in me,
This House his temple where I drink.
My translation:
The loving wine-maiden is the priest,
Oh! sweet wine, holy water of the Ganga
Whirling around, at a dizzying pace,
an interminable succession of goblets
"Take more", "drink some more" --
divinely chanted in harmonic unison
I sit unmoved, Shiva personified,
this is my temple, the House of Wine
Stanza 26:
Translation (MB-RSV):
Bonfires of Holi once a year
Are lit, and once the Feast of Light
Encourages the gambler's throw
-- Beyond compare my House's might!
O worldlings, stop one day to ponder,
And toward the House of Wine just wander,
For we keep Holi every day
And keep Diwali every night.
My translation:
Iridiscent, but only once a year,
Holi bursts into flame
Refulgent, but only once a year,
glow the lights of Diwali
But come hither and behold, all,
this wondrous House of Wine
by day we revel in a riot of colour,
and every night is a festival of light
Stanza 32:
Translation (MB-RSV):
The lips may sample any draught;
The tongue still tastes the changeless grape;
The hands may carry any dish;
It seems to have a Goblet's shape;
And every shifting countenance
Takes on the the Handmaid's well-known glance;
Whatever is before the eyes,
The House within will not escape.
My translation:
any spirit may
the lips touch, yet the tongue savours
only ambrosial wine
any vessel may
the palms hold, yet they caress
only the wine-goblet
many faces may
the eyes glimpse, yet they see
only the wine-maiden
many scenes, fleeting, move
before the eyes, yet burned into them
is only the House of Wine