'Baulanga' means the Baul Corpus in Bengali; these traditional songs, lyrics braiding one to the other, do not admit to easy demarcation of authorship.
The singer Parvati Baul tells us that the composer is an unknown Muslim fakir from Bangladesh, who describes the last few moments of Radha’s life, just before she walks into the dark waters of Yamuna river, mistaking it to be the Dark One, her beloved Krishna.
Fragrance Her letters, frailty of vine
Red are Her lips, gateway to wine
Aa’n teghe abru wa’n teere mishga’n,
Aamada har yak bar qatl aame.
Swords arched brows, lashes arrows,
With all else needed, to kill or harrow.
Gahe ba masti taus raqsaa’n,
Gahe ba shokhi aahu khirame.
Often ecstatic, peacock dancing,
Often playful, as deer prancing.
Az jisme larza’n, larza’n do aalam,
Waz zulfe barham, barham nizame.
Shivers body, shiver both worlds,
Locks fall loose, apart comes Order.
Aariz che aariz gesu che gesu,
Subhe che subhe shaame che shaame.
Cheek to cheek, lock to lock
Dawn to dawn, night to night.
Guftam che joi gufta dilo jaa’n,
Guftam che khwahi gufta ghulame.
Asked I of Love “Seek'st Thou what?",
Replied Destroyer: "Slaves, else naught."
Below, Abdullah Manzoor, Makhmoor Niazi Qawwal & Party present the qalam of Jigar (in a snippet within a longer rendition of Mere Bane Ki Baat Na Poochho.)
Yeh ishq nahin aasaan bus itna samajh leejiye,
Ik aag ka daria hai aur doob ke jaana hai
This Love is no easy affair; you might as well understand
It as a river of Fire, one that you must swim immersed, to cross.
