I Won't Let You Go (46 page)

Lakshmi:
the goddess of grace, beauty, luck, and prosperity, the consort of Vishnu who is the second deity of the Hindu trinity and one of the most
powerful
gods of Hinduism.

lemon-grass:
a fragrant tropical grass yielding an aromatic oil, the
Cymbopogon
nardus,
(L.) Rendle, Poaceae. Stalks of this grass are used in the cookery of S.E. Asia.

lime flowers:
the fragrant flowers of the
Citrus medica,
L., Rutaceae.

lodhra:
the
Symplocos racemosa,
Roxb., Symplocaceae. Flowers in the winter. The fine pollen of the fragrant white flowers was used by women as a powder for the face.

lotus:
the Indian lotus,
Nelumbo nucifera
, Gaertn., Nymphaeaceae, is unlikely to be the same as the plant the fruit of which, according to Homer, induced a state of dreamy torpor and which is celebrated in Tennyson’s poem ‘The Lotos-eaters’. The Indian lotus belongs to the same family as the humble
water-lily
, but as a many-petalled thing of beauty emerging from water or slime, it occupies a special place of honour and has a tremendous symbolic significance to the Indian mind. It is a powerful symbol in both Hinduism and Buddhism. See the note on the poem ‘True Meditation’ (
Chaitali
) in the Notes section.

madar:
properly
palte madar
in Bengali, the
Erythrina variegata,
L., Fabaceae, also called
Erythrina indica
in older sources, a deciduous tree which, in the flowering season, sports dense erect spikes of bright scarlet flowers at the tip of leafless branches.

madhabi:
a climber with sweet-scented flowers in abundant racemes. The Latin name most commonly given for it is
Hiptage madablota,
Gaertn., Malpighiaceae, but I was given the name
Hiptage benghalensis.

Magh:
the tenth month of the Bengali calendar and the second winter month, mid-January to mid-February.

magpie robin:
Bengali
doyel
, famous for its sweet song in the breeding season.

Mahabharat:
the great Sanskrit epic, the
Mahabharata
, supposed to be the longest poem in the world. In ‘Hide-and-Seek’ it would be a Bengali version, most probably Kashidas’s, which the little boy’s mother would be reading, which is why I have spelt the name without the final a, in keeping with Bengali
pronunciation
.

mahaneem:
an evergreen shady tree belonging to the same family as the neem, with sweet-scented lilac flowers. Bunches of fruit remain on the tree for a long time. The Latin name given to me is
Melia azadirachta
, A. Juss., Meliaceae. I have also seen it called
Melia azedarach.

Mahashweta:
a character in the Sanskrit work of prose fiction,
Kadambari
; see the note on the poem ‘The Victorious Woman’ in the Notes section. To appreciate the statement in ‘Tamarind Flowers’ that the kurchi branch, in its ‘prayerful striving for flowers…has become a Mahashweta’, remember that the flowers of the
kurchi
(q.v.) are creamy white, that the name ‘Maha-shweta’ means ‘the very white one’ (fem. gender), and that Mahashweta became an ascetic while waiting to be re-united with her beloved.

mahua:
a deciduous tree with sweet-smelling cream-coloured flowers and
edible
fruit, the
Madhuca latifolia
, (Koen.) Mac., Sapotaceae, or
Madhuca indica,
Gmel., Sapotaceae, or
Bassia latifolia,
Roxb., Sapotaceae (all three names refer to the same tree). Mahua wine is a favourite drink of Santhals and other tribal people. One also hears local stories of bears getting intoxicated after eating the fruit, which is a favourite food of many wild creatures. One of Tagore’s
collections
of love-poems, from which two poems have been translated in this book, is named after this tree/flower. A valuable oil is expressed from the seeds.

malati:
a climbing shrub with fragrant white flowers,
Aganosma dichotoma,
(Roth.) K. Schum., Apocynaceae, identical with
Aganosma caryophyllata
, G. Don, Apocynaceae.

Malavika:
the name of the heroine of Kalidasa’s play
Malavikagnimitra
, hence used by Tagore to evoke the image of a charming and sophisticated woman of Kalidasa’s time.

Mallar:
a generic name in Indian classical music for a group of
ragas
pertaining
to the rainy season. In ‘One Day’ Tagore is probably referring specifically to Raga Megha-mallar.

Mandakini:
the river Ganges in its mythological aspect, when it flows through the heavenly world.

mandar:
often identified with the
palte madar
with its brilliant scarlet blossoms (see
madar
above), but in the poem ‘Farewell to Heaven’ the reference is clearly to the mythological
mandar
, which is a celestial tree growing in the
pleasure-garden
of the gods. By the logic of its very being such a tree and its flowers cannot be found on this earth.

mango:
mangoes, usually flown from Kenya, are now not uncommon in British supermarkets, but this king of Indian fruits deserves a note. The word
mango
is ultimately from Tamil. The common Bengali word is
aam
, from Skr.
amra
. The tree, the
Mangifera indica,
L., Anacardiaceae, is an evergreen with a dense rounded crown of dark-green leathery leaves. The strong, heady scent of its flowers is one of the characteristic odours of the Indian spring and is often referred to in Tagore’s poetry and songs. The fruit, when ripe, has a large stone in the centre, and is sweet, fleshy, and juicy, the nearest European
equivalent
in taste being a really ripe peach. The green fruit is used in pickles,
chutneys
, and other condiments. Numerous varieties of the mango are cultivated in India. Some of the best reach the West in canned form. The cashew-nut tree belongs to the same family as the mango.

Manu’s codes:
The lawbook attributed to Manu was probably put together in its final form in the 2nd or 3rd century A.D. (A.L. Basham,
The Wonder that was India,
3rd revised edition (Sidgwick & Jackson, London, 1969), p. 113). It codified Hindu orthodoxy.

masha:
a unit of weight used by jewellers. It can also refer to a unit of weight used by apothecaries, in which case it is smaller.

maya:
an important philosophical concept; see the note on the poem ‘On the Doctrine of Maya’ (
Sonar Tari
) in the Notes section.

Mayurakshi:
a river that rises from the Rajmahal Hills of Bihar, flows through the Santhal Parganas district and into West Bengal. Pronounced
Moyurakkhi
in Bengali, the name means ‘peacock-eyed’, in the feminine gender. Hence in the poem ‘Dwelling’ the name itself is magical, evoking a world of beauty and romance.

Menaka:
a celestial nymph and dancer at Indra’s court.

muchukunda:
an evergreen tree bearing yellowish white sweet-scented flowers, the
Pterospermum acerifolium,
Willd., Sterculiaceae, identical with
Pterospermum suberifolium,
Lam., of the same family.

myrobalan:
Bengali
horitoki
, a large deciduous tree, the
Terminalia chebula,
Retz., Combretaceae, the astringent fruit of which is used medicinally.

Nandan:
the heavenly garden of Indra, pleasing in all seasons.

neem:
the
Azadirachta indica,
A. Juss., Meliaceae, a beautiful, virtually
evergreen
tree with sweet-smelling white flowers which is much valued in the
Indian
pharmacopoeia for the antiseptic properties of its products. Its twigs are used to brush the teeth; its bitter-tasting leaves are cooked and eaten, and are also used as insect-repellents; its essential oil is used in the manufacture of
soap and toothpaste. Birds and bees love the honey of the flowers, and birds also love the small yellow fruits, which tend to fall off soon after ripening.

nut tree:
In poem no. 5 of
Patraput
and ‘The Dark Girl’ of
Akashpradip
this is likely to be the
Terminalia catappa,
L., Combretaceae, a tall handsome
spreading
tree with horizontal, whorled branches. Its leaves turn coppery red before falling. The kernels of the fruit are edible.

oleander:
the Bengali
karabi
, a poisonous shrub with whippy branches and
fragrant
white or reddish flowers,
Nerium indicum,
Mill., Apocynaceae, identical with
Nerium odorum,
Sol., of the same family. The red variety received its
apotheosis
as a symbol in Tagore’s play
Raktakarabi
. Not to be confused with what is sometimes called the yellow oleander, Bengali
kolke-phul
, the
Thevetia
peruviana
or
Thevetia nereifolia
of the same family, bearing yellow flowers.

Padma:
the name given to the main branch of the Ganga in eastern Bengal, now Bangladesh.

palmyra:
the same as
fan palm
(q.v.).

parijat:
like
mandar
, often identified with the
Erythrina variegata,
L., Fabaceae, but in Song No. 36 it is without a doubt a celestial flower of mythology which cannot be found on this earth. Any association with the scarlet flower of the
Erythrina variegata
must really be ruled out here, because Tagore is making parijat pollen serve as a metaphor for moonlight. As in the previous stanza, where sandalwood paste serves the same purpose, Tagore wants to evoke a pale golden colour.

passiflora:
Bengali
jhumka-lata
or
jhumko-lata
, a flowering shrub climbing by tendrils. The Latin name I was given for it is
Passiflora incarnata,
L.,
Passifloraceae
.

peepul:
the
Ficus religiosa,
L., Moraceae. Resembles some species of the poplar, especially the aspen, like which its leaves quiver constantly in the breeze. The shade of this tree is most attractive in the hot season. Its seeds, blown by the wind or dropped by birds in the cracks of brickwork or masonry, can be very destructive to buildings. The Buddha is said to have attained his enlightenment under one of these trees. The word
peepul
came to English from Hindi and is ultimately from Sanskrit. The word
pippal
does exist in the Bengali
word-stock
, but Bengali usually prefers another name for the tree,
ashwattha
or
ashath,
also of Sanskrit origin.

Phagun/Phalgun:
the eleventh month of the Bengali calendar and the first spring month, mid-February to mid-March.

polash:
the
Butea monosperma,
Kuntze, Fabaceae, earlier known as the
Butea
frondosa
, Roxb., Papilionaceae, a deciduous tree which is a treat for the eye in springtime, bearing on its leafless branches a profusion of shapely
flame-coloured
or yellow flowers set off by velvety dark-green calyces. Many polash trees grow in and around Santiniketan, and the flower, used as an adornment by Santhal women and much used in the Santiniketan spring festival, was one of Tagore’s favourite flowers. The tree yields a red resin and is an important host of the lac insect, the source of a valuable red dye. The flowers yield a dye too.

pomegranate blossoms:
the fruit of the
Punica granatum,
L., Punicaceae, will be more familiar to most readers than the red blossoms which are lovely.

Poush:
the ninth month of the Bengali calendar and the first winter month,
mid-December to mid-January.

Puja:
any ceremony of religious worship, but if otherwise unqualified, in
Bengal
referring to the festival of Durga, the Mother Goddess, which takes place in the month of Ashwin and lasts several days.

Radhika:
the same as Radha, the beloved of Krishna, an incarnation of the god Vishnu. Those who have seen examples of Indian miniature painting should be familiar with representations of Radha and Krishna. The story of their love is a common ingredient in many Indian art-forms, including medieval Bengali poetry. It would feature in the traditional open-air plays of Bengal known as
jatras
, in which female parts were taken by boys, as in the Elizabethan theatre.

Rajbangshi:
the name of a rural community of tribal origin in northern Bengal.

rattan:
the
Calamus rotang,
L., Arecaceae, the pliable stems of which are used for making baskets, trays etc.

red sandal:
the red heartwood of the
Adenanthera pavonina,
L., Mimosaceae, called
raktachandan
(i.e. red sandal) in Bengali, yields a red dye, but the true
raktachandan
or red sandal/sanders comes from the wood of the
Pterocarpus santalinus,
L., Leguminosae, which grows in South India.

rongon:
the white variety of this dense shrub is the
Ixora arborea,
Roxb. ex Sm., Rubiaceae; there is also the
Ixora coccinea,
L., Rubiaceae, a variety which bears brilliant scarlet or yellow blossoms and is much liked by gardeners.

Rupnarayan:
see the note on poem no. 11 of
Shesh Lekha
in the Notes section.

sal:
pronounced
shaal
in Bengali, the
Shorea robusta
, Gaertn., Dipterocarpaceae, a large tree valued for its timber and resin. Its leaves are used to make
disposable
plates and conical containers for outdoor eating.

sandal:
the fragrant wood of the
Santalum album,
L., Santalaceae, is rubbed with a little water against a mortar to make a paste, which is applied to the skin to aromatise, cool, and decorate it. The wood is highly prized for the
manufacture
of
objets d’art
and the essential oil is used in perfumes and soaps. The word
sandal
is really the same as Bengali
chandan
and came to English from Sanskrit via medieval Latin.