Jasim Uddin was born on January 1, 1904 (Accoding to his Matriculation Certificate, Prof. Aminul Islam, Jasimuddin, 1962), in a small village, Tambulkhana, in the Faridpur district of East Bengal. That was his grandparent's village, only eight miles from his parent's home in Govindapur (at that time Padma river was flowing by Govindopur). He has described these two villages and their manner of life in his autobiography. Many scenes from The Field and Gipsy Wharf have their setting in these villages. In those books Jasim Uddin is writing of a time when the land of Bengal had fewer problems than present day.
In his autobiography Jasim Uddin tells much more about village life as he knew it. He swam in the ponds and canals, fished in the rainy season, watched the sugar cane being made into treacle, and ate his fair share of this tasty sweet. The boy Jasim built a banana-palm raft and sailed it one early morning to help herself to a neighbour's ripe dates. Like his hero Sojan, he knew where the weaver bird made its nest and admired the intricate construction. He knew when and where the best mangoes and plums were ripe. When the travelling theatre, the Jatra, came to town he and his cousin, Nehaj Uddin, would sneak off and stay up all night listening lo the play. Throughout the year they enjoyed both the Hindu and the Moslem holidays.
Jasim Uddin is proud of belonging to the folk tradition of Bengali literature. He was pleased by a recent comment of one critic who, praising his autobiography, said: 'Reading Jasim Uddin's Jiban Katha (autobiography) is like eating country cakes from mother's own hand.'
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2. Autobiography
On his birthday some parts of his autobiography as follows:
In my books Nakshi Kathar Math (The Field) and, Sojan Badiar Ghat (Gipsy Wharf) I was remembering the peoples of these villages. Even today this picture of plenty in the villages gives me pleasure when I think about it. If I could but change this joyless, needy land of today with all its prejudice for that land of happiness, song and prosperity, I would dance for joy. (Jasim Uddin, Jibon Katha, 1964).
It was a land of plenty in those days with no need for much money or hard work. One might say Laksmi, the goddess of wealth, smiled on Bengal. 'In former days, in every quarter of the village there were song gatherings, Gajir songs, Jari songs and Keccha songs, which kept the villages in a state of excitement. The fields yielded good harvests. With a little scraping of the plough and a flick of the wrist to sow the seed broadcast, green sprouts appeared covering the paddy fields as far as the horizon. The rivers, canals and ponds swarmed with fish. One had only to scoop them out by hand. Very few things were bought with money. For a few sheaves of paddy the blacksmith would forge a plough, the barber would cut hair, the potter make pots; for a little mustard seed t loc oil presser would deliver mustard oil to every home. Even now this method of barrel' is in use in the villages.'(Jibon Katha)
Jasim Uddin in 1968 spent all his savings to establish Ansar Uddin High School in 1969 in name of his father. Now most of people of Ambikapur and adjacent villages are educated.
When I must give up something today it is not difficult for me to do so. Besides this discipline, the knowledge I obtained when a boy, of the Hindu gods and goddesses, of the method of accomplishing tasks that at first seem impossible, has helped me immensely in my creative work.
The literature of this land (Bengal) is not merely Hindu literature, nor can it be said to be a Moslem literature. Since both Hindus and Moslems have written in one language (Bengali), the literature of this land is both Hindu and Moslem. Those who would separate the two and make literature will not last many days, I am sure. Because of the universality of appeal in the world of literature, sectarian thought is out of place there. If my own writing has achieved anything of universal appeal, then it is thanks to that sannasi' (Jibon Katha, 1964).
The sannasi probably had the strongest influence of any person outside his family on Jasim Uddin. The boy did, however, have other friends who helped him, particularly with his poetry. His interest began when he was very young, perhaps seven or eight years old.
I only remember something he said one day. I had asked the Pandit, "I want to write Bengali books. You give me some good advice. What shall I do to succeed in this?"
Laughing he replied, "You are a Bengali boy. Whatever you write will be Bengali. For that there is nothing you need do. Whatever you have to say, write it in the same manner as all are talking to me. That will be your best composition." Ail my life I have tried to apply the advice of this pandit to my work. (ibid)
One day it suddenly occurred to me; how would it be if I wrote the words in my notebook in the same ready manner that I composed oral poetry. After writing three or four of my couplets in the notebook I was astonished. There were fourteen syllables in every line and the last syllable of every line rhymed with the second line's last syllable. I doubt whether Columbus discovering America felt such joy as I felt at this discovery. For so many days I was accustom eel to composing my verse to a tune. Without a tune I could not compose the words in poetical metre. Now that I discovered how to find the rhythm for my verse, who could hold me back? I filled notebook after notebook (Jibon Katha, 1964).
Thus Jasim Uddin started reciting and composing poems at a very early age. By the time he was a student at Faridpur Rajendra College his poetry had already won him some fame. Kobor (Graves) was prescribed as the text for the Matriculation Examination at Calcutta University when Jasim Uddin was still a student in the 1. A. Class (Rajenra College, under Calcutta University)
| Barbara Painter, Washington, USA Writes:
Gipsy Wharf and The Field, I think, are among Jasim Uddin's major work, but he is a versatile and prolific writer.
Millons of copy of field and Gypsy have been sold in India and Bangladesh and almost every year a new edition is printed which is unique in Bangladesh. Also the same book in italien several editions have been printed:
Like another famous Bengali poet, Rabindranath Tagore, Jasim Uddin has tried his pen in almost every field.
Boba Kahini (Tale of an illiterate man) 1964, Bau Tubanir Phul, 1978, both are novels.
He has written many short dance dramas: Beder Meye 1951 (The Gipsy Girl), Madhumala 1956 (from the fairy tale of Princess Madhumala), Palli Badhu (Village Bride) 1956, the plot of which, he writes, is borrowed from Tagore,
Gramer Maya, Asman Singha, Karimkhar Bari
Jasim Uddin has also collected and rewritten numerous folk tales and folk music
(Jari Gan, Murshida Gan He has published two volumes Bangalar Hashir Galpa (Folk Tales) which has been translated in Czech language (Folk Tales of Bengal), and vol. I, 1961, vol. 2, 1964. |
Tuntuna and Tuntuni
(From Folk Tales of Bangladesh)
There were once two tailor birds called Tuntuna and Tuntuni....
One day Tuntuna said to his wife. "My dear Tuntuni, I wish I had some money...." After many days of searching, he found a pence under a bush. He took it in his beak and carried it to Tuntuni.....
"Tuntuni, we have become rich!".....
They were so happy that they forgot about eating and sleeping. They just danced and singing:
"How much money does the king have?
That's how much money we have"
....When the king heard the words of the birds and made him very angry and ordered to catch them immediately.....
The commander of Chief at last with the help of the fishermen caught the birds.
The king gave the birds to his 101 queens...The birds were passed from one queen to another. The lazy queen did not hold the bird tightly, and first Tuntuna then Tuntuni flew out of her hands.....No one of the queens dared to tell the king what had happened.
... The next day, the king call all the wise men in the land to his court to judge the Tuntunis...
The king ordered the birds to be brought into the court. He waited and waited, but the Tuntunis did not come....
Suddenly, the Tuntunis came flying over the king's head.. and singing:
"Tuntuna, Tuntunni,
Tuntunis tun tun!
All the queens noses
Are as red as roses!
Tun tun, tun tun, tun tun."
The king could control his anger. "Catch those Tuntuni bird," he shouted....
Soon the two birds were caught in the nets, but this time the king would not wait for his wise men to judge them. He took a glass and swallowed tuntuna and tuntuni.
The wise men shook their heads. One of them said to the king's first minister, "The first time the king laughs the Tuntuni birds will fly out of his mouth."
So the first minister ordered a soldier to stand on each side of the king. He said, "When the king laughs, the birds will fly out of his mouth .. You must cut off their heads with your sword as soon as you see them."
Just then one of the queens came to talk to the king. She was the queen who was always laughing. When the king turned to speak to her, the queen began to laugh. Of course, the king has to laughs too.
As soon as the king started laughing the Tuntunis flew out of his mouth. "Zing Zing," went the soldiers swords, but they did not catch the birds. Instead of chopping off the heads of the Tuntunis, the soldier had chopped off the nose of the king. Tuntuna and tuntuni flew round and round the room, singing:
"Tuntuna, Tuntuni
Tuntunis tun tun!
The nose of the king,
Was cut "Zing zing zing"!
Tun tun, tun tun, tun tun."
(From The Folk Tales of Bangladesh by Jasim Uddin)
Besides, other socio-cultural organisations and Ansaruddin High School, founded by the poet after the name of his father, have chalked out elaborate programmes to mark the day.
Handicrafts, cultural objects and other indigenous products depicting rural Bengal will be on and sale.
We are rich with the literary gift from three talents: Rabindranath- Nazrul -Jasimuddin. They are unique in their own world of art. Not only in poetry, but they are also distinct bright stars in the world of melody. Jasimuddin created his own world of music in folk style just as Tagore created his world in Dhrupadi and Nazrul in Kheyal. To practise the Viswakobi we have Shanti Niketan and Viswa Bharati, for our Jatiyo-kobi we have the Nazrul Academy and Nazrul Institute. But it's a matter of regret that still we do not have an institute to remember and practice the art of our beloved Pallikobi. (Daily Star, June 12, 2003)
"I'll fly to you like a bird !" thousands of years the love and passion for birds rooted in the society. but since independence plenty of arms are scattered all over the country. I was shocked to see how a few rural people kill bird just for fun or picnic. Many rich from the cities visits wetlands of Bangladesh during winter months well equipped with modern weapons just to kill migratory birds for their kitchen pots. The most shocking event is that when I saw school age children killing birds. They prepare small fishes treated with a poisonous pesticde locally named "Furan" (Carbonfuran is a banned pesticide) and lay near water bodies. When the bird eats the fish immediately die. A young boy was narrating me excitedly, how he collected 50 birds. This is painful at the same time disgusting. Where are the values of our life? Most people does not listen poetries, songs, folk tales that communicated values of our life since thousands of years but have enough time to watch or listen imported films, songs and the culture of the elite of the society through TV , radio from morning to dawn.
He has written books on travel to USA, Europe as Chale Musafir, Halde Parir Desh (Jugoslwia travel) obtained UNESCO Prize, Germanir Shahare and Bandere and Je Deshe Maush Boro
Other important lyrics written recently are in the books Rupavati 1946 and Sakhina 1960, Halud Barani (both girls' names). The first book of lyrics published after the partition of India-Pakistan, when the poet moved permanently to Dacca, was the book. Matir Kanna (Sorrows of the Earth) 1955. This book has been translated into Russian.
His poetry appears like the breeze from the countryside that that cools the sighs and sweats of urban living. He is congratulated for creating a new school of poetry.
Jasim Uddin wrote and tuned folk songs which are still celebrated in the air and sky of Bengal.
Jasim Uddin not only famous composer but he gave all the tunes of his music which is documented in gramophone records. Jasim Uddin collected several thousands of folk music from rural Bengal under the guidance of Prof. Dinesh Chandra Sen as a ramtanu Lahiri Scholar. He has written two books "Jari Gan and Murshida gan".
The songs like O Amar Daradi, O Tui Jare aghat Hanlire, Nadir Kul Nai, O Amar Gahin Ganger Naya, Oi Shon Kadambo Tale ke, Ujan Ganger Naya. 'Nishite Jaio Phulo Bane', 'Prano shokhi re oi shone kodombo tole' or 'O amar dorodi age janle' and many others still persist and have been the backbone of Bengali folk music in this country.
Come to the garden by night
One of the most popular songs of Jasim Uddin "Come to Garden by Night" and "Bandhu Rangila" sung by famous Shachin Dev Barman (To immortalise the name of Shachin Dev Barman West Bengal govt did a lot of things and named some memorials after his name. 
