Some time ago, Fran encouraged me to reveal the contents of my Marathi book collection after I made a reference to it. Rather than listing its contents`, I thought it would be more fun to comment on individual books from it, especially ones I have derived particular pleasure from.

High on this list is the late P.K. Atre's (affectionately called Acharya Atre towards the end of his life) "Jhenduchi Phule" - literally 'marigolds'. The name is a sort of self-deprecatory acknowledgement of its own 'children of a lesser god' status. In the dedication the author feigning mock humility wonders how 'aficionados desirous of attractive blossoms' will accept this non-fragrant gaudily coloured offering. The collection was first published in 1922.

Atre was a real 'Murrhati' character. Writer, critic, poet, intellectual, musician, journalist, newspaper baron, celebrity leading a scandalous life - there were few social roles that he didn't try his hand at. His political speeches were so widely appreciated among Marathi audiences that even his political opponents would come to listen to him for the entertainment. And he rarely disappointed with his down-home (some would say 'unparliamentary') humour.

A personal anecdote. There was a poetry recitation contest when I was in high school. Instead of going with the usual 'moon-June' type home-grown foolishness other entrants were sure to unleash on the captive audience I figured I'd read something a bit more designed for popular appreciation. I happened to pick Atre's 'Shyamale' - a hilarious send up of romance poetry written in a super-Urduized Marathi. Although this had seemed like a great idea on paper, about ten minutes before going 'live' I began to lose my nerve. The sight of our headmaster sitting in the front row looking like a particularly fearsome Nazi officer may have had something to do with this. I turned to the contest organizer (who happened to be our Marathi teacher) and begged to be excused because the poem seemed ill suited for the properly serious and high-minded atmosphere. I'll always remember his advice.

First, he said, if I really wanted to back out he wouldn't stop me. But if this was because I felt the poem somehow insulted the school atmosphere he said I had to understand the background of the poem and its hidden seriousness of purpose. He went into a discussion of the influence of Urdu poetry and European romance poetry on Marathi poets towards the beginning of the twentieth century. This particular poem, he said, was a send-up of over-indulgence, of showiness, of shallow fusion and above all just an invitation not to take oneself too seriously. (Later I discovered it was more specifically directed at a certain Madhav Julian, but more about that later perhaps). Above all he said it was important not to think this sort of thing was in any way an insult to the school. And in parting he dropped me a wink as if to say 'And if they take offence, f*** them.'

The reading received a very gratifying reception, especially from the distant back benches of the assembly hall. The headmaster did not refer to it then or later.

(This post is already too long. I'll post the poem and a translation in a separate posting.)

This will be more interesting to Marathi readers. Am not including every verse.

Shyamale-- .................................. To the dusky beauty
------------- .....................................-----------------------
tu chhokari nahi sundari ...............O girl, nay pretty damsel
mishkila bAl chichundari ............... O naughty little mouse
kALA kaDA mi fattari .................... Me, a dark rocky cliff
tu kAshmirAtila gul-dari .................And you a flowery Kashmir valley

pAtaLichA saitAna mi .....................I am the satan of the underworld
allAgharichi tu pari ........................You a houri from the house of God
tu madradeshiya shyAmalA ........... Dusky beauty from Madra Desh, you [Madras]
mi to fakira kalandari .................... Me a kalandari mendicant

maidAna mi tharpArkari ...................I am the Tharpark desert [Wot is Thar Park ?]
tu bhoomi pikALa gurjari ...............You are fertile Gujrati land
arabi samudra hi mi zari ............... Me the Arabian sea
tu kudrati rasa-nirzari ................... You a nature spring

AshAdhichA andhAra mi ................ I am the darkness of the monsoon month
tu fAlguni madhusharvari .............. You are the honey-night of autumn
khagrAsa chandra maleena mi ....... Me the dirty full moon
tu kor tAshiva 'silvery' ................... You the burnished silvery crescent

besoora rATHa 'suneeta' mi ............I am the tuneless harsh sonnet
kavitA chaturdasha tu khari ............ You the chaturdasha (?) poem
haidosa karkash mi zari ..................I am a horrible racket
'allAh hu akbar' tu tari ....................You the incantation of 'god is great'

mAzooma mi tu yAkuti ...................[No idea what are 'mazoom' and 'yakuti']
mi hinga kAbuli tu miri ....................Me the Kabuli hing [Asafoetida], you a peppercorn
un bhAnga tu chanDola mi ...............You are opium drink, I am the chandol drug (?)
goDela mi tu mohari .......................I am cooking oil, you are a mustard seed

mi to piTHyAtila bevaDA ................. I am rotgut moonshine
whiskey-tali tu mAdhuri .................. You the sweetness of Whiskey
kADaychirAita mi kaDoo ................. I am a bitter herbal remedy
tu bAlikA khaDisAkhari .................... You, girl, are like rock candy

paTTice tu cutlet mi ..........................I am a pattice you are a cutlet
omlette mi tu sAguti .........................I am an omelette you are a curry
kAnday-baTATay-bhAta mi ...............I am onions-potatoes-rice
murghi biryAni tu pari ....................... You are a chicken biryani

akroDa mi kandAhari ....................... I am a Kandahar walnut
tu sAharyAtila kharjuri ...................... You an Arab date
istambooliya abeera mi ..................... I am 'abeer' (?) from Istambul
nepALachi tu kasturi .......................... You are like Nepali musk

mi ghongaDay un laktari .....................I am a torn blanket
makhmoola tu mau bharzari ............... You are rich soft velvet
beDaul vakra trikoNa mi .................... Me a clumsy triangle
tu lambavartuLa gay pari .................... But you are an ellipse

.......

kiti thAmboo mi mhaN 'hoya' nA ......... How long shall I wait ? Say 'yes' please
khachali umeda baray oori ................. My heart is losing hope
jhiDkAruni mazalA pari ...................... But please, by refusing me,
mat-preetichA na 'kheemA' kari .......... do not make mincemeat of my love

Bless AA, and thank you, Ajit, for taking the trouble to type this out! Also, that was a hilarious (and actually really sweet) anecdote and also it's a delightful poem, and in hindsight, vintage Atre. Great translation!

I have read most of Atre's political writings, esp. the Navayug articles and the Samyukta Maharashtra stuff, and his five-volume autobiography (Karheche Pani). It's amazing how easy he is to read without necessarily being "light". Even if you don't agree with him, it's good to read him. But I really need to read more of his poetry and fiction.

More about the poem itself later: I want to read it again, more carefully. Also, could you elaborate on the specific context the poem was written in? Re. Madhav Julian, in particular?

This is wonderful. Thanks so much Ajit for typing the whole thing. The anecdote is wonderful as well and made me enjoy the poem even more (visualizing a little schoolboy nervously reciting it was great fun ). I read a few of his political writings when I was younger.
Madhav Julian is a poet too, isn't he? Please do tell us more.

-w@w

Atre was a well known obitury writer? Anyone?
I remember my uncle reading MaraTha every day for his political commentaries. For some weird reason I just remember his obitury writing skills, besides of course his famous plays like Moruchi Mawashi, Lagnachi Bedi, TO Me Navech. etc, his satirical poetry colelction under discussion, and his autobiogrqaphy Kareche Paani.

It would be very inaccurate to label Atre as an obituary writer. He was a newspaper editor, poet, litterateur, politician, playwright, director of plays and movies, script writer, movie producer, rabble rousing orator etc. BTW, the first ever movie to win a national award for a best movie was directed by him. Name of that movie is left as an exercise for the reader. /abhay

I was not labeling him as anything. And the answer to your Q is very obvious. Shayamchi Aai. And Yes I did mention all the remaining qualifications of him in my post, so don't be too quick to label me as 'ignorant.'
Atre died in 1969, while I was still young and I remember my uncle reading all of his editorials and a coule of discussions about obituries written by him, and people wondering, "he writes about all these people, wonder who will write his obitury?" incidents from your childhood somehow remain embeeded in your memory.

I feel like an eager schoolkid raising a hand to answer this question, but was it Shyamchi Aai? Based on the famous book by Sane Guruji. After "Sant Dnyaneshwar" I don't think there is another Marathi film that milks your tearducts as much as this one does, all the while being quite a terrible film.

Yes, it's difficult to pin down Atre. Not least because he also appears in various "Acharya Atre jokes".

I loved this poem. Reading it out aloud made it even better!

Some Atre jokes (Caution: some material may be unsuitable for some readers !):
----
During the Samyukta Maharashtra agitation, Yeshwantrao Chavan, in a bid to gently make fun of the agitation proponents asked: Aho puN 'zAlAch' pAhijay asuh kA ? yA 'ch' chi kAy evDhi garaz ? (why the 'must' in "We must have a Unified Maharashtra' ?
Atre wrote: aho, chavANAtlA 'ch' kADhlA tar hAti fakta vAN rAhil baruh kA. [If you remove the 'must' from 'Chavan' you will be left with a slipper.]

The word play does not translate into English.
----
Referring to ha. rA. mahAjani as 'harAm hA jani' (twisting H. R. Mahajani - a political opponent - into 'this bastard')
----
Once when Atre came into a gathering, M. K. Deshpande said tauntingly: yeh aaya Atre P. K. [Here comed P.K. Atre - which also sounds like Here comes drunk Atre]
Atre is reported to have come back with: Hut teri mA. kA. deshpande. [Oh shucks, M. K. Deshpande - which also sounds like a mother-directed curse]
----

I hate to admit this-- but I have read hardly anything written by Atre. So the poem was especially welcome, Ajit. But Atre is such a towering personality, almost mythical in his sardonic wit and irreverent attitude, that I learnt about him just by living in Pune. So I had heard those jokes before and I too had heard about his obituary writing capabilities. And there was a wonderful witty and lengthy reference to him by Pu La in his famous Shaniwarwada speech before the Indira Gandhi elections (after she had lifted the emergency.)

But I would definitely love to read more of him and by him-- if that is at all possible here.

Atre's writing and personality was very mercurial, and he pulled no punches either in praising someone or in dragging them to the ground.

He was especially generous and eloquent in showering praise on fellow litterateurs or on anybody whose work for Maharashtra, Marathi, etc. he approved of. I remember an article he had written on Ram Ganesh Gadkari, whom he deeply admired, and on whose early death he was devastated. Then of course, the unfortunate Congressmen at whom he took aim in the "Maratha" weekly throughout the 1950s.

When reading Karheche Pani, I was struck by this mercurial attitude and quite perturbed by it in the beginning, because it was so full of intense likes and dislikes, backed up by feverish action on behalf or against a particular idea/event/politician. It's only gradually that you begin to get a sense of the personality behind these apparently extreme actions.

Is Atre's fiction also like this? I don't know what exactly to call it: intense? extreme?

Abhay, the mention of Sa(doba) Ka(nhoba) Patil reminded me of another Atre-ism. Atre and Patil were on opposing poliitical sides almost all their lives. So it was natural that sooner or later Atre would refer to Na(mdar) [i.e. MLA] Sa(doba) Ka(nhoba) Patil as 'to nAsakA Patil' (that rotten Patil)

Edit to add: I have several hilarious poems from 'JhenDuchi phule' that I want to post and am hoping - unless directed otherwise - that this does not fall afoul of fair use practice.

Abhay, are you sure that is originally by Atre ? I thought it was of older vintage.

Madhav Julian aka Madhav Tryambak Patwardhan was an early twentieth century Marathi romantic poet. I have to admit that like the philosoper Charvak, he is known to me more through what his prominent critic Atre said about him and less on the basis of his own writings.

Still, it would be non-controversial to say that MJ was influenced by Farsi poetry and by the ideas of romantic love both in English poetry of chivalry and in Farsi couplets/quatrains. His poems often used Farsi/Arabic words that were not always prevalent in common Marathi e.g. 'Vande tvamekam Allahu akbar' , 'bandA tujhi sevA kari' etc. Actually much of this vocabulary ('khyAl', 'bandA', 'jAdugari' etc.) would hardly raise any eyebrows today - perhaps thanks to the labours of Bollywood lyricists - but this may have seemed like affectation in Atre's time.

The other aspect of his poetry that Atre satirises in 'Shyamale' is the attitude to romantic love that pervaded Madhav Julian's poetry. This was the idea of 'chivalrous' love - common in European poetry of the sixteenth/seventeenth centuries and also perhaps in Farsi/Urdu poetry. Both these traditions idolised a 'pure' concept of love untainted by physical desire or any hint of carnality. The object of love then appears peculiarly idealised and the poets in question usually prefer not to come too close to their object of adoration. Kissing edges of garments, pining over barely discerned shadows and admiring trace evidence of the lady love (handkerchiefs, locks of hair that sort of thing) are symptoms of this love.

In MJ's case this purity of love often also led to ambiguities of the relationship between the poet and his object of affection (OOA from now on). His OOAs are often addressed as mothers, sisters and little girls. There is much material for Freudian analysis here although as a sceptic I am more inclined to give Madhav Julian the benefit of doubt against charges of incipient incest/pedophilia.

Coming back to the excerpts I posted, Atre's thumbing his nose at the use of Farsi is amply clear. The confusion of the love interest with little girl imagery was most prominent in the verses I omitted, although the 'chhokri', 'bAlikA' etc. are nods in that direction.

This has become longer than intended (or comfortable) but Atre's satirical virtuosity is clear not just in his choice of vocabulary and imagery but also in the musical/rhythmic style that he has copied from the original but let me stop here.

Nice story...

The following are plausible answers(.) to the (?)s in Ajit's translation (thank you).

Blueneck, thanks for the info. Yes, the preface does refer to 'tharpArkari' as having reference to a desert 'on the other side of Sindh'.

What sleight of hand do you suspect me of ? I went over my translation again. The only thing I could find was my translation of 'sAharyAtila' as 'Arab'. I think Atre means Sahara desert but not being geographically exact - and in any case Arab influence extends across the Sahara.

I mistakenly translated 'Falguni' as 'Autumn'. I suppose early spring is more exact ?

By the way, although technically 'Madra desh' may not be Madras, I believe that is the intended meaning. This is a dig at a liaison between MJ and a certain Varada Naidu.

I was just kidding. I didn't want to be kicked out because of using too many Smilies, so removed the " " from my previous post. Everything else makes sense. Sorry about the confusion.

I keep meaning to write this, but forgetting to do so:

"mazoom" is a kind of bhang cake, made with various spices and sweets.

"yakuti" is something similar, but described as made out of "fructification of the hemp plant."

Trusted source: Molesworth.

At a library yesterday, I chanced upon the complete works of Madhav Julian! Remembering this thread I naturally left what I was doing and browsed through it. In a small biographical note in the beginning, the editor Da Na Gokhale mentioned a comment Atre had made about his poetry, which is a good example of Atre's felicity with the language and his ability to use it both lightly and extremely well:

(am paraphrasing here)

"When Madhav Julian joined the poetry group Ravikiran Mandal with a couple other poets of his time, Acharya Atre quipped that it was a good name for the group, since Julian was the Ravi (sun) and the others were merely Kirans (rays)."

Sounds terrible in translation, sorry. But even if I might disagree with his opinion, I love Atre's ease with bending Marathi vocabulary to express it. Here he was clearly paying Julian a compliment, but I guess he couldn't resist putting in a dig at the others he didn't think were as good as Julian.

Incidentally, Ajit, that article by Gokhale was a very detailed and excellent study of Julian's love poetry: it discussed many of the features you mentioned above.

Fran, is there any way you can be talked into translating and making that article available in another thread or something ? I am a sucker for anything to do with that period of desi history (among a few others). Not to mention Marathi lit.

I have been toying with the idea of posting a few more translations from JP and been somewhat dissuaded by the fear of copyright violations etc. Any help on who holds the copyright now (my edition mentions SHirish Pai but if I remember correctly she died a few years ago) and whether it is possible to contact them would be a help.

So what's your single malt collection looking like right now? Some Lagavulin might help... I'm visiting the Bay area in a few months, and could decide then....

I have two bottles of whichever label you prefer - cask strength, 12 years old, 30 years, owner's private stash, everything. Did you say Lagavulin ?

Suddenly, I have this whole new interest in translation and poetry. Amazing how these things happen.

<phew> Mandar, don't tell her I was giving her a premature farewell.

But do you know how to get in touch with her ? Preferably by email ?

Atre expert could shade more light on Atre..But in case of *PiwaLe tAmbus* , it actually did improve the original..so I remember !!