Singing to the Goddess: Poems to Kali and Uma from Bengal / Edition 1

by Rachel Fell McDermott

Overview

This vibrant collection presents 145 brief Bengali lyric poems dedicated to the Hindu goddesses Kali and Uma. These poems—many of which are presented here for the first time in English translation—were written from the early eighteenth century up to the contemporary period. They represent the unique Bengali tradition of goddess worship (Saktism) as it developed over this period. Included are forty poems by the most famous of all Sakta poets, Ramprasad Sen (c.1718-1775) and ten lyrics by the renowned 20th-century poet Kaji Najrul Islam. McDermott's lucid introduction places these works in their historical context and shows how images of the goddesses evolved over the centuries. Her lively translations of these poetic lyrics evoke the passion and devotion of the followers of Kali and Uma and shed light on the history and practice of goddess worship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195134346
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	03/01/2001
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 6.00(h) x 0.48(d)

About the Author

Rachel McDermott is Assistant Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College.

Read an Excerpt

Is my black mother Syama really black?
People say Kali is black,
but my heart doesn't agree.
If She's black,
how can She light up the world?
Sometimes my Mother is white,
sometimes yellow, blue, and red.
I cannot fathom Her.
My whole life has passed
trying.

She is Matter,
then Spirit,
then complete Void.

It's easy to see
how Kamalakanta
thinking these things
went crazy.

Kamalakanta Bhattacharya

Oh Mind, you don't know how to farm;
your human field has fallen fallow.
Cultivate it, and the crops you'll grow
will gleam like gold. Fence it round with Kali's name
so your harvest won't be harmed.
The Wild-Haired One is strong;
Death won't come near that fence.
Don't you know? Your crops will never fail--
not in a day, a year, or a century.
So apply yourself, Mind;
work to reap your harvest.
The Teacher sowed the mantra;
now water his seed with devotion's showers.
And oh, if you can't do it alone, Mind, take Ramprasad along.

Editorial Reviews

"Singing to the Goddess is an instant classic, boasting elegant and accomplished translations appealing to the devotee, but providing balanced introductions, ample endnotes discussing historical contexts . . . and the important discovery of a Tantric genre for the scholar. This work will join other important watershed translations, becoming a required textbook for classes in comparative literature, religions of South Asia, Hinduism, goddess worship, and/or South Asian studies."—Religious Studies Review

From the Publisher