Madhushala
Encyclopedia
Madhushala (The Tavern/The House of Wine), is a book of 135 "quatrain
s": verses of four lines ("Ruba'i) by Hindi
poet and writer Harivansh Rai Bachchan (1907–2003). The highly metaphorical work is still celebrated for its deeply Sufi incantations and philosophical undertones and is an important work in the Chhayavaad
(Hindi: छायावाद) (Impressionism) literary movement of early 20th century Hindi literature
.
All the rubaaiaa (the plural for rubaai) end in the word madhushala. The poet tries to explain the complexity of life with his four instruments, which appear in almost every verse: madhu, madira or haala (wine), saaki (server), pyaala (cup or glass) and of course madhushala, madiralaya (pub/bar).
First published in 1935, the work got Harivanshrai Bachchan instant fame, especially when his own recitation of the poems became a craze at kavi sammelans (Poetry symposiums), the book still sells briskly: the present publisher of the book regularly releases 2 to 3 editions every year. When first published, it met criticism from many people for its apparent praise of alcohol. As noted in Bachchan's autobiography, after listening to the poems Mahatma Gandhi
stated that these criticisms were unwarranted.
Madhushala was part his trilogy inspired by the Omar Khayyam
's Rubaiyat
, which he had earlier translated into Hindi. The other titles in the trilogy were Madhubala (मधुबाला) (1936) and Madhukalash (मधुकलश) (1937).
, while the first one was sung by Bachchan himself. The music was composed by Jaidev
. His son, actor Amitabh Bachchan
, has read the verses on several occasions, most notably at Lincoln Center, New York City.
Dr. Harivanshrai Bachchan's well-known Mahakavya "MADHUSHALA" translated in Gujarati language, Gujarati Hasyakaar Dr. Jagdish Trivedi has done this job after work for continue three years to translate "MADHUSHALA in HINDI to GUJARATI" He launched this mahakavya in gujarati on date: 07/11/2009 @ ahmedabad.
Recently:- Bachchan family pay tribute to Late Harivansh Rai Bachchan on his 102nd birth anniversary in Mumbai and Launched the new edition of book in Hindi as well as in English on Saturday, 28 November 2009.
Quatrain
A quatrain is a stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines of verse. Existing in various forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and China; and, continues into the 21st century, where it is...
s": verses of four lines ("Ruba'i) by Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
poet and writer Harivansh Rai Bachchan (1907–2003). The highly metaphorical work is still celebrated for its deeply Sufi incantations and philosophical undertones and is an important work in the Chhayavaad
Chhayavaad
Chhayavaad refers to the era of Neo-romanticism in Hindi literature particularly Hindi poetry, 1917–1938, and was marked by an upsurge of romantic and humanist content. Chhayavad was marked by a renewed sense of the self and personal expression, visible in the writings of time...
(Hindi: छायावाद) (Impressionism) literary movement of early 20th century Hindi literature
Hindi literature
Hindi literature , is broadly divided into four prominent forms or styles, being Bhakti ; Shringar ; Veer-Gatha ; and Adhunik...
.
All the rubaaiaa (the plural for rubaai) end in the word madhushala. The poet tries to explain the complexity of life with his four instruments, which appear in almost every verse: madhu, madira or haala (wine), saaki (server), pyaala (cup or glass) and of course madhushala, madiralaya (pub/bar).
First published in 1935, the work got Harivanshrai Bachchan instant fame, especially when his own recitation of the poems became a craze at kavi sammelans (Poetry symposiums), the book still sells briskly: the present publisher of the book regularly releases 2 to 3 editions every year. When first published, it met criticism from many people for its apparent praise of alcohol. As noted in Bachchan's autobiography, after listening to the poems Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
stated that these criticisms were unwarranted.
Madhushala was part his trilogy inspired by the Omar Khayyam
Omar Khayyám
Omar Khayyám was aPersian polymath: philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and poet. He also wrote treatises on mechanics, geography, mineralogy, music, climatology and theology....
's Rubaiyat
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is the title that Edward FitzGerald gave to his translation of a selection of poems, originally written in Persian and of which there are about a thousand, attributed to Omar Khayyám , a Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer...
, which he had earlier translated into Hindi. The other titles in the trilogy were Madhubala (मधुबाला) (1936) and Madhukalash (मधुकलश) (1937).
Madhushala in Media
Over the years, the text has been choreographed and performed by celebrated dancers, a recording of selected Rubaai from Madhushala was released by HMV, where twenty stanzas were chosen and sung by Manna DeyManna Dey
Prabodh Chandra Dey , better known by his nickname Manna Dey , is a playback singer in Bengali Assamese and Hindi films. Along with Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, he was a part of Indian film playback music from the 1950s to the 1970s. He has recorded more than 3500 songs over the course of...
, while the first one was sung by Bachchan himself. The music was composed by Jaidev
Jaidev
Jaidev Hindi:जयदेव वर्मा , was a music composer in Bollywood films, most known for his work in films: Hum Dono , Reshma Aur Shera , Prem Parbat and Gharonda ....
. His son, actor Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
, has read the verses on several occasions, most notably at Lincoln Center, New York City.
Text
- Madhushala by Harivansh Rai Bachchan, in Hindi, Hind Pocket Books, 1999. ISBN 81-216-0125-8.
- Madhushala by Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Penguin Books, 1990. ISBN 0-14-012009-2.
- Madhushala by Harivansh Rai Bachchan, in German, Draupadi-Verlag, Heidelberg (Germany), 2009. ISBN 978-3-937603-40-7.
External links
- मधुशाला की पूरी कविता एक स्थान पे
- Madhushala Poem and Song
- Madhushala at Kavita Kosh
- complete text in UNICODE
- Madhushala - Life Teaching Verses by the Legend
- German translation of a portion of the poem
Dr. Harivanshrai Bachchan's well-known Mahakavya "MADHUSHALA" translated in Gujarati language, Gujarati Hasyakaar Dr. Jagdish Trivedi has done this job after work for continue three years to translate "MADHUSHALA in HINDI to GUJARATI" He launched this mahakavya in gujarati on date: 07/11/2009 @ ahmedabad.
Recently:- Bachchan family pay tribute to Late Harivansh Rai Bachchan on his 102nd birth anniversary in Mumbai and Launched the new edition of book in Hindi as well as in English on Saturday, 28 November 2009.