Rubaiya 4
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Bhauvukta angoor lataa se
kheench kalpanaa ki haalaa,
kavi saaki bankar aayaa hai
bharkar kavitaa kaa pyaalaa;
kabhee na kanh bhar khaalee hogaa,
laakh piyen, do laakh piyen!
paathak ganh hain peenewaale,
pustak meri madhushaalaa
Bachchan, in this verse, tells us that the madhushala is the book itself, the readers are the drinkers. He says he has used the most best grapes from the most impressionable grapevines for his imagination, and comes to the reader as the bar-girl, having filled the glass with the wine of imagination.
Obviously, this wine is not going to run out, even if a hundred thousand (or two) drink!
Bachchan continues to establish the relationship between the poet and the reader. I particularly love the use of the word "paathak" here. In the context of the rubaiya, "paathak" means "a reader, particularly of sacred texts". However, "paathak" also means "teacher", and Bachchan seems to imply that his readers are the source of his learning: that humanity is the real teacher; he is merely translating what the story of mankind teaches into the substance of his poem.
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3 comments:
Thats beautiful..., how do you think he is referring to humanity in here ?
This is the first verse where he refers the madhushala as something other than just wine, drink etc....The "reader class" here seem to plunge into the ocean of "never ending" creativity as they drink the madhushala ( as they read his book full of poetry )
You're spot on...this IS a beautiful verse. I think that by using the word "paathak", he is making the reader both the "reader" and the "teacher". By referring to his readers as "paathak ganh", he says that it is "all men" (and women, and hence, humanity) are the teachers whose teachings he has distilled to offer back to them to drink (read).
Beautiful description of yours, Raji - "plunge into the ocean of never-ending creativity as they drink the madhushala".
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