Hip Hop and Holy

Like Einstein is supposed to have worked out his equations on the backs of envelopes  post-cards , used paper, legend has it  that the 18^th  century Bengali mystic, poet and devotee of the Goddess Kali,– Sadhak Ramprasad Sen penned his lyrics in the ledger book (which he was supposed to keep) of his employer.

One day he got caught. His employer pensioned him off with a monthly allowance till death, and Ramprasad spent the rest of his life worshipping the Goddess through songs which he wrote and sang.

Ramprasad’s songs influenced the latter day Bengali mystic Ramakrishna Paramhansa, and the doyen of Bengali literature Rabindranath Tagore among others.

Spiritualists have this reputation of being out of the ordinary, and at times childlike. Ramprasad was all this and more. His entire life was dedicated to praising the holy mother, and as single-minded devotion sometimes makes one oblivious of the ways of the world – Ramprasad was a simple soul who was not aware of anything outside his calling, not even the fact that he was blessed.

This lack of self-consciousness is reflected in his songs, written in a robust language- an eclectic mix of the erudite and the colloquial. The words have a natural hip hop feel and can be hypnotic at times like the truly simple.

Here is a transcreation; the original follows.

 

O heart of mine! had you sowed,

This body – this pasture of heaven goes to seed,

Would have reaped gold.

Shout ‘Kali’, shout out loud; the yield would be forever

Where the long-haired girl steps in

Evil looks for cover.

Now, or a millennium later

The stake will get cold and bare

Tune in and be a player

Romp in and get your share.

Seed your mentor’s blessing

Spray devotion on it

Heart ,if you feel left behind,

Call Ramprasad at your side.

 

The original

Mon re! krishikaj jano na

Emon manobjomin roilo potit

Korle abad falto sona.

Kali name dao re byara

Fasale tachrup hobe na

Se je muktokeshir shokto bera

Tar kachete jom ghese na

Adya ki shatbdante

Bajapto hobe janao na

Ekhon apan ektare

Chutiye fasal kete ne na

Guru data bij ropan kare

Bhakti bari senche de na

Eka Jodi na parish mon

Ramprasadke sange ne na.