The City of Mirrors Near My Home

This is my all time favourite Lalon Song. It is about the elusive Almighty-who is so near and yet so far, living in such a maze of smoke and mirrors that Lalon cannot reach. I chose to use she instead of he as many of our gods are female forms. Also Lalon in many of his songs blended hedonism with sufi philosophy and spiritualism and blurred prem and puja. Listen to the song by Baul Shofi Mondol (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4cMsJT7MTFs)

The City of Mirrors Near My Home

I have never seen her

Even for a day.

I have not seen her even once-!!

My neighbour lives in a city of mirrors.

Close to my home.

Her homestead is girdled

By unfathomable waters

Like an ocean without shores

And I have no boat to sail across to her.

I long to see her

But how do I reach her?

How shall I describe my neighbor?

She has no image

No hands, no feet, no shoulders, no head.

Often she soars up in the sky

And then she floats in the water..

If only my neighbour touched me

With her healing fingers

She would banish the torments of death.

She and Lalon are in unison

And yet she is a million spaces away.

I have never seen her

Even for a day.

বাড়ীর পাশে আরশি নগর

সেথা পড়শি বসত করে

এক ঘর পড়শি বসত করে

আমি একদিনও না দেখিলাম তারে ।।

বিরাম বেড়ে অগাধ পানি

নাই কিনারা নাই তরণী, পাড়ে

বানছা পরি দেখবো তারি

কেমনে সেথা যাইরে

আমি কেমনে সেথা যাইরে

কি বলব পড়শির কথা

হস্ত-পদ-স্কন্ধ-মাথা নাই রে

ক্ষনেক থাকে শুন্যের উপর

ক্ষনেক ভাসে নীরে

পড়শি যদি আমায় ছু‘তো

যম-যাতনা সকল যেতো দূরে

সে আর লালন একখানে রয়

লক্ষ-যোজন ফাক‘রে