My Reminiscences Part 18

[35] The new bride of the house, wife of the writer's fourth brother, above-mentioned. _Tr._

[36] It may be helpful to the foreign reader to explain that the expert singer of Indian music improvises more or less on the tune outline made over to him by the original composer, so that the latter need not necessarily do more than give a correct idea of such outline. _Tr._

[37] This would mean "the genius of Bhubanmohini" if that be taken as the author's name.

[38] Gifts of cloth for use as wearing apparel are customary by way of ceremonial offerings of affection, respect or seasonable greeting.

[39] The old Vaishnava poets used to bring their name into the last stanza of the poem, this serving as their signature. Bhanu and Rabi both mean the Sun. _Tr._

[40] The dried and stripped centre-vein of a cocoanut leaf gives a long tapering stick of the average thickness of a match stick, and a bundle of these goes to make the common Bengal household broom which in the hands of the housewife is popularly supposed to be useful in keeping the whole household in order from husband downwards. Its effect on a bare back is here alluded to.--_Tr._

[41] There was a craze for phrenology at the time. _Tr._

[42] Latterly Sir Tarak Palit, a life-long friend of the writer's second brother. _Tr._

[43] Saraswati, the G.o.ddess of learning, is depicted in Bengal as clad in white and seated among a ma.s.s of lotus flowers. _Tr._

[44] With Indian music it is not a mere question of correctly rendering a melody exactly as composed, but the theme of the original composition is the subject of an improvised interpretative elaboration by the expounding Artist. _Tr._

[45] Valmiki Pratibha means the genius of Valmiki. The plot is based on the story of Valmiki, the robber chief, being moved to pity and breaking out into a metrical lament on witnessing the grief of one of a pair of cranes whose mate was killed by a hunter. In the metre which so came to him he afterwards composed his _Ramayana_. _Tr._

[46] Some Indian cla.s.sic melodic compositions are designed on a scheme of accentuation, for which purpose the music is set, not to words, but to unmeaning notation-sounds representing drum-beats or plectrum-impacts which in Indian music are of a considerable variety of tone, each having its own sound-symbol. The _Telena_ is one such style of composition.

_Tr._

[47] Reciters of Puranic legendary lore. _Tr._

[48] The G.o.ddess of Wealth.

[49] As distinguished generally from different provincial styles, but chiefly from the Dravidian style prevalent in the South. _Tr._

[50] Many of the Hindustani cla.s.sic modes are supposed to be best in keeping with particular seasons of the year, or times of the day. _Tr._

[51] The world, as the Indian boy knows it from fairy tale and folklore, has seven seas and thirteen rivers. _Tr._

[52] This is addressed to Yashoda, mother of Krishna, by his playmates.

Yashoda would dress up her darling every morning in his yellow garment with a peac.o.c.k plume in his hair. But when it came to the point, she was nervous about allowing him, young as he was, to join the other cowherd boys at the pasturage. So it often required a great deal of persuasion before they would be allowed to take charge of him. This is part of the _Vaishnava_ parable of the child aspect of Krishna's play with the world. _Tr._

[53] A Busti is an area thickly packed with shabby tiled huts, with narrow pathways running through, and connecting it with the main street.

These are inhabited by domestic servants, the poorer cla.s.s of artisans and the like. Such settlements were formerly scattered throughout the town even in the best localities, but are now gradually disappearing from the latter. _Tr._

[54] One of Bankim Babu's brothers.

[55] The month corresponding to July-August, the height of the rainy season.

[56] The month of Aswin corresponds to September-October, the long vacation time for Bengal.

[57] Referring to his marriage with the writer's niece, Pratibha. _Tr._