Blogchatter's Half-Marathon is back with a bang in this year 2023 too. As usual bloggers enthusiastically participating and presenting classy blogposts. I'm joining from today for the next ten days writing under the theme 10 GREAT WORKS FROM INDIAN LANGUAGES.
"Such a country on search, you will not get anywhere; the land of my birth is the queen of all countries. It is my motherland, the land of my birth".
These were the words of pride written by Dwijendralal Ray in his Bengali poem- Aamar Janmabhumi. His patriotic songs are rich in emotion and grandeur. The song "Aamar Janmabhumi" with others were recorded in Gramophone in those days. It inspires every citizen of India to have love and pride for their motherland even today.
Listen to the song here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-JNG7-I4ws
English version below translated by Arkadev Chatterjea.
Poet, Patriot, Playwright Dwijendra Lal Roy (1863-1913) contemporary to Rabindranath Nath Tagore. Known popularly as Dee-El-Ray in his time, became famous for the plays he wrote: mythological, Historical and social. His plays were passion for actors and actresses and favourite for Bengalis.
To the core of his heart Dwijendra Lal was very affectionate and sentimental but at the same time disciplined and restrained. In his lyrics (Poems for songs) the words were unambiguous and arranged in prose like straightforwardness and with subtle dramatic fervour, where as speeches from characters in plays bear poetic eloquence. It can be said , his plays were poetic in nature and prose dramatic in character.
Well versed in both Indian and Western music, he could masterly blended the two types, for which Rabindranath had commented that Dwijendra Lal had added a golden string to the veena of Saraswathi, the Goddess of arts and music.
He also composed a few many songs on various contemporary topics. Two of his most famous compositions are 'Dhana Dhanya Pushpa Bhara' and 'Banga Amar Janani Amar'. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in early modern Bengali literature.
(This blogpost is a part of BLOGCHATTER'S HALF MARATHON 2023)
