Raj Bhattarai's translation of the poem that Bond had earlier barabadood. (Barbadeed? Barbecued?)

   Here is what Raj sent me. First some email:

Arun,

   I am faxing you the song from "Charulata" (the atrocious Devanagari transcription
of the Bengali words, and my equally atrocious Hindi translation).  The
outrageous English translation is attached.  I have set myself to look like a
complete idiot.  I don't know any Bengali and  my knowledge of Hindi is very
limited (this is my first attempt to write anything in Hindi).  So what you have
here is neither good nor reliable.  Maybe you, any Bengali Babu, and I could sit
down together and improve on what I have done.  Hope you have a good laugh.

-Raj

CHARULATA (1964)
Lyrics: Rabindranath Tagore
Music: Satyajit Ray
Singer: Kishore Kumar

First the poem itself (that Raj faxed me, having written it in his beautiful Devnagari hand)

Ami chini go chini tomare o go videshini
Tumi thaako shindhu paare o go videshini

Dekhechi sharodo-praate tomar
Dekhechi madhobi-raate tomar
Dekhechi hride majhare
O go videshini

Ami aakashe patiya kaan
Sunechi sunechi tomare gaan
Ami tomare sopechi praan
O go videshini

Bhubhon bhramiya sheshe
Ami ayeshechi nooton deshe
Ami otithi tomare daare
O go videshini

Ami chini go chini tomare
O go videshini.
(this last O go videshini, is sung in the movie as "O bo thakurani")

Next Raj's translation into Hindi that Raj faxed me, also in Devnagari script. I have tried to be faithful to his gender-snafus in this English transliteration.

Mai jaanta hun tumhe o videshini
Tum rahti ho saagar-paar o videshini

Dekha hai tumhe sharad prat mein
Dekha hai tumhe mahavi raat mein
Dekha hai tumhe hridya ki beech me
O visdeshini

Maine aakash ki aor ghumaya kaan
To sunliya sunliya tumhari gaan
Maine tumhe syop-diya pran
O videshini

Vishwa bhraman ke baad
Main aaya hun nayee desh mein
Main atithi tumhari dwar pe
O videshini

Main jaanta hun tumhe O videshini (bhabhiji)

I know you, know you o lady from foreign land
You live across the ocean o lady from foreign land

I have seen you on autumn mornings
I have seen you on Madhavi nights
I have seen you in the middle of (my) heart
O lady from foreign land

I have turned my ears to the sky
And have heard your singing
I have offered my soul to you
O lady from foreign land

After traveling around the world
I have come to a new country
I am a guest at your door
O lady from foreign land

I know you, know you o lady from foreign land (sister-in-law).

   In the middle of the song Charulata says ki usne paan sajaaya hai, and would her brother-in-law like some. Raj was under the impression that "sajaana" should be translated as "decorated". That isn't so of course. Anyone from a good family, Raj, should know ki paan sirf banta nahi hai, sirf lapeta nahi jaata, paan hamesha ek channdi ki khoobsoorat tushtari per sajaya jaata hai. Aur pesh aysay hota hai, yeh kah kar, ki: "Huzoor (or begum sahiba, as the case may be), shauk furmaa-e-a."

   Raj gave me a long piece on Rabindranath Tagore, written by the Harvard economist Amartya Sen, and published in the NYT. Six full pages! You shall have a paper copy each, Bond and Buddi. Keep an eye on your mailboxes. In that Amartya Sen describes the relationship between a videshini, Victoria Ocampo, and Rabindranath. (No, they never did jump in bed, or so Amartya Sen believes. This is just a little note, Bond, for that certain type of person who might ask that indelicate sort of a question.) Was she the videshini of this poem?