The Flute-Player of Brindaban: Sarojini Naidu

Hareshwar Roy,
The Flute-Player of Brindaban: Sarojini Naidu

Why didst thou play thy matchless flute
'Neath the Kadamba tree,
And wound my idly dreaming heart
With poignant melody,
So where thou goest I must go
My flute-player with thee?

Still must I like a homeless bird
Wander, forsaking all
The earthly loves and worldly lures
That held my life in thrall,
'And follow, follow, answering
Thy magical flute-call.

To Indra's golden-flowering groves
Where streams immortal flow,
Or to sad Yama's silent Courts
Engulfed in lampless woe,
Where'er thy subtle flute I hear
Belovèd I must go!

No peril of the deep or height
Shall daunt my wingèd foot;
No fear of time-unconquered space,
Or light untravelled route,
Impede my heart that pants to drain
The nectar of thy flute!

(An Anthology of English Literature: Madhya Pradesh Hindi Granth Academy से साभार)
Location: B-37, City Homes Colony, Jawahar Nagar Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India
Dr. Hareshwar Roy beautifully connects global research with local literature. Born in 1964 in Jamuaon (Bhojpur, Bihar), he studied at Patna University and earned his Ph.D. from APS University, Rewa. Currently, he serves as Professor of English at Government P.G. College Satna, Madhya Pradesh. Dr. Roy bridges two worlds: in class, he explains international migration and literary history, while in his heart, he keeps the rich spirit of the Bhojpuri language alive. He has published over 45 research papers focused on Indian Diaspora Writing. As an author in English, he has written Diasporic Articulation in the Novels of M.G. Vassanji, A Study of M.G. Vassanji's Novels, Varieties of Indianity in the Works of M.G. Vassanji and Rohinton Mistry, Diaspora and Indian Diaspora: A Brief Study, Short Notes of English Literature - I and Short Notes of English Literature - II. Rooted in his soil, he is a celebrated Bhojpuri poet featured on 'Kavita Kosh' and in popular collections like Hamar Pahchan Ha Bhojpuri, Hamra Pyar Ho Gail, and Bhojpuri Kavitayein. Ultimately, his life and writings serve as an inspiring example of how academic scholarship and local roots thrive together perfectly.

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