Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/263

 IV.] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. 229 them was Bhavani Prasad Kar, a Vaidya by caste The tran- who lived in the earlier part of the 16th Century. নস ৪ রন কন 7 Bhavani Here are a few lines 2 a long autobiographi Saas cal.account that he gives of himself. the blind poet, “T was born in a Vaidya family of Kahthalia (in the district of Mymensing). I have attempted to compose this poem in honour of Durgg (Chandi). She has made me miserable from my birth. Pro- vidence did not grant me eyes. I have taken refuge at the feet of Durga, having no place to stand on in this world.’”’* After having described his domestic troubles chiefly brought about by the wickedness of his nephew, he says,—'‘' I was born in the Kar family of Kahthalia. My father’s name is Nayan Kkrisna Kkar. God created me without eyes. So I do not know the alphabet and cannot write.” + His translation of Chandi is very close to the text,—a novel feature in a work of this class, for which we ought to be thankful to the blind poet, but as he did not know how to read or write, and দুর্গার মঙ্গল বোলে ভবানী প্রসাদ ॥ জন্মকাল হতে কালী কবিলা ছুঃখিত। চক্ষুহীন করি বিধি করিল লিখিত ॥ মনে দঢ়াইয়াছি আমি কালীর চরণ। দাড়াইতে আমার নাহিক কোন স্থান ॥ 1 কাটালিয়৷ গ্রামে করবংশেতে উতপত্তি। নয়নকৃষ্ণ নামে রায় কাহার সম্ততি ॥ জন্ম অন্ধ বিধাতা যে করিল! আমারে। অক্ষরপরিচয় নাহি লিখিবার তরে ॥
 * নিবাস কাটালিয়। গ্রাম বৈদ্য কুলজাত ।