Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/217

 [Pee IV.] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. 187 If this had been a translation from the original, I would not have cared to quote it. But all who know the Sanskrit epic will attest the imperious tone of the brief expressions that fell from Sita in the moment of deserting the world. In the extract quoted above, on the other hand, she speaks like a simple Bengali woman and though we may miss here the lofty reticence and composure of the original, yet one cannot fail to admire the great insight and refinement with which Gangadas has pourtrayed Sita’s mingling of pride and sweet- ness. The date of the composition of Dwija Durga- ram’s translation of the Ramayana is unknown; but this author flourished after Krittivasa of whose poem he speaks with great respect in the preface. Jagat Ram, the next great translator of the Ramayana, was born in the village Bhului, three miles to the south-west of Ranigafj, a station on the East Indian Railway. Close to_ this village on the south are the Vehari Nath Hills. On the west rise the historic ranges of Panchakota. On the north flows the strong, though narrow, current of the Damodara like a silver line through sandy banks. The scenery of the village is beauti- ful and the place is ‘‘a meet nurse for the poetic child.” Jagat Ram wasa gifted poet. He was set to the task of translating the Ramayana by Raghunath Sinha Bhup, Raja of Panchakota, and completed the work in 1655 A.D. He also began to write another book called Durga Pancharatri which he did not live to complete. The last cantos of this were written by his son Ram Prasad Ray in Dwija Durgaram Jagat Ram, 1655-A:D;