Bandi Bir - बंदी वीर (An imprisoned warrior) - Ballad of Sri Banda Bairagi by Rabindranath Tagore

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Bengali Poem Bandi Bir written in Devanagari script. the Poem is composed by Gurudev Rabindranath Thakur on legendary Sikh warrior Banda Bairagi.

पंच नदीर तीरे,
वेणी पकैया शिरे
देखिते देखिते गुरुर मन्त्रे
जागिया उठिछे सिख
निर्मम निर्भीक..  


हजार कंठे गुरुजीर जय
ध्वनिया तुलिछे दिक्
नूतन जागिया शिख
नूतन उषार सुर्येर पाने
चाहिलो निर्निमिख...


अलख निरंजन
महारब उठे, बंधन टूटे
करे भयभंजन
वक्षेर पाशे घनउल्हासे
असी बाजे झनझन
पंजाब आजी गरजी उठिला
अलख निरंजन...


एसेचे से एक दिन
लक्ष पराने शंका न जाने
न राखे कहारों ऋण
जीवन मृत्यु पाएर भृत्त
चित्त भावनाहीन
पंच नदीर घिरी  दशतीर
एसेचे से एक दिन


दिल्ली प्रासाद कुटे
होथा बार बार बादशाहजादार
तंद्रा जेथेचे छूटे
कादेर कंठे गगन मंथे
निबिड निशीथ टूटे
कादेर मशाले आकाशेर भाले
आगुन उठेचे फूटे


पंच नदीर तीरे
भक्त देहेरे रक्त लहरी
मुक्त होइलो की रे...
लक्ष्य वक्ष चीरे
झांके झांके प्राणपक्षी समान
छूटे जेनो निज नीरे
वीर गण जननी रे..
रक्त तिलक ललाटे परले
पंच नदीर तीरे


मोगल शिखेर रणे
मरण आलिंगने
कंठ पकड़ी धरिलो आंकरी
दुई जन दुई जने
दंग्शन खटो श्येन विहंगो
जूझे भुजंगा सने
से दिन कठिन रणे
जय गुरुजीर हांके शिख वीर
सुगभिर निश्वासे
मोटो मोगल रक्त पागल
दीन दीन गर्जने..


गुरुदासपुर गढे
बन्दा जखन बंदी होइलो
तूरानी सेनार करे
सिंहेर मत शृंखल गत
बंधी लए गेलो धरे
बन्दा समरे बंदी होइलो
गुरुदासपुर गढे


सम्मुखे चले मोगल सैन्य
उड़े इ पथेर धूलि
छिन्न शिखेर मूँद लोइया
वर्षा फलके तुली


शिख सात शत चले पश्चाते
बाजे शृंखलगुली
राजपथ पढ़े परे लोक नाही धरे
वातायन जाए खुली
शिख गरजे गुरुजीर जय
प्राणेर भय भूली
मोगल ओ सिख उड़ालो आजिके
दिल्ली पथेर धूलि..


पड़ी गेलो कडा काडी
आगे केव प्राण करिबेक दान
तारी लागी तरातरी
दीन गेले परे घाटकेर हाते
बंदीरा सारी सारी 
जय गुरुजीर कही शत वीर
शत शिर दे दारी..


सप्ताह काले सात शत प्राण
नि:शेष होए गले
बंदार कोले क़ाजी दिलो तुली
बंदार एक छेले


कहिलो इहारे वधिते होइबे
निज हाते अवहेले
दिल तार कोले फेले
किशोर कुमार बंदा बाहुतार
बंदार एक छेले..


किछु न काहिलो बानी
बन्दा सुधीरे छोटो छेलेतीरे
लोइलो वक्षे तानी
क्षण काल भोरे मथार उपरे..
राखी दक्षिण पानी 
सुधु एक बार चुम्बिल:
रंगा उशनीश खानी..


तार पर धीरे कोटि बास होते
छुरिका खासाए आणि
बालकेर मुच चाहि
गुरुजीर जय, कनेकनेर कही
रे पुत्र भय नाही
नविन बदन अभय किरण
ज्वाली उठी उत्साही
किशोर कंठे कांपे सभातल
बालक उठिल गाही
गुरुजीर जय किछु नाही भय
बंदार मुच चाहि..


बन्दा तखन  वाम बाहू पाश 
जरैलो तार गले
दक्षिण करे छेलेर वक्षे
छुरी वसैलो बले
गुरुजीर जय कहिया बालक
लुटाइलो धरा तले.
सभा होलो निस्तब्ध
बंदार देहो छिंरिलो घातक
संराशी करिया दग्ध
स्थिर होए वीर मरिल, ना करी
एकटी कातर शब्द
दर्शन जन मुदिल नयन
सभा होलो निस्तब्ध

English translation of the Poem:


On the banks of the five rivers,
Up rise the Sikhs spontaneous;
With hair coiled above their head
Inspired by the Mantra their Guru spread
Fearless and unyielding.....
"Glory to Guruji" - thousands of them
Resound the horizon;
At the rising sun of the dawn
The Sikhs stare with deep emotion
With new awakening.


"Alakha Niranjan!" (means 'Holy Spotless'= God)
The war cry of the rebellion;
Let loose their chilvalry;
On their ribs clank swords luminary;
In wild joy was Punjab's insurrection
"Alakha Niranjan!"

There came a day,
Thousands of hearts were on their way
Without any binding or fear,
Life and death at their feet slaves mere;
There on the banks of those rivers
The tale of that day still shivers.

At the tower of the Delhi palace,
Where the Sikhs are apace -
The Badshajada's drowsy spell

Time and again they quell;
Whose voices there, the dark sky tear?
Whose torches set the horizon afire?

On the banks of the rivers five,
For supreme sacrifice was their dive,
Unleashed there was the flood
Of the devotee's blood.
From thousands of hearts torn apart
For destination divine in their lark -
The heroes putting their sacred blood mark
On the forehead of their motherland
There around the five rivers so dear and grand.

In the Mughol and Sikh battle
Their embrace to each other throttle
Like the fight between the eagle and snake,
Deep bruise one to the other did make.

In the fierce fight of that day -
In blood craze "Din Din" the Mughols bay,
"Glory to Guruji" - was the Sikh's commotion
In their divine devotion.

At Gurudaspur castle
When Banda was captured amidst all bustle
In the hands of the Turani troop,
As if a lion fettered with his group;
To capital Delhi they were taken,
Alas, at Gurudaspur Banda was beaten!

The Mughol soldiers march ahead,
Kicking up the road dust in sneer,
Hoisting the Sikh's chopped head
At the blade of their spear.
Follow them Sikhs seven hundred,
Tinkles their chain,
Throng people on the road widespread,
Windows open - a glimpse they fain,
"Glory to Guruji", the Sikhs roar,
For fear of life none is sore,
Sikhs with the Mughols to-day,
Stormed the Delhi road all in gay.

Started the scurry,
For lead in the carnage was their hurry;
They line up at the dawn
Defiant till their execution.
"Glory to Guruji" was their slogan
Until they were done.

Thus over a week,
The arena turned bleak;

With seven hundred lives gone -
Upon the martyrs' immortalization.
On the last round of cruelty
Banda was ordered by the Kazi
To kill his own son,
At ease to be done.

In mere teen was the boy,
With hands tied thrown as a toy
Into the lap of Banda and without a word
He drew him close to his heart.
For a while he put his hand on his head,
Just once kissed his turban red.
He then draws his dagger,
Whispers in the child's ear -
"Glory be to Guruji - fear not my son"
A virile in the boy's face did burn -
In his juvenile voice the court did ring
"Glory to Guruji" as he did sing.
With his left hand Banda held the boy,
With right struck the dagger in his ploy,
"Glory be to Guruji", was all he did implore
As he took to the floor.

Silence fell in the court,
Guruji's inspiration still not abort.
Then with tong red hot
Banda's body was pieced apart;
A word of moan he uttered not
And all in calm did he depart.
As stopped his heart throb
Witnesses closed eyes - silence choked pin drop.