Rhymes of Whimsy - The Complete Abol Tabol by Niladri Roy

Rhymes of Whimsy - The Complete Abol Tabol by Niladri Roy

REVISED & ENLARGED SECOND EDITION.

Two books in one: With a total of more than 250 pages, this is a book in two parts: the first comprises the translated poems and original illustrations by Sukumar Ray. The second contains investigative analysis and some never-before-published commentary on the symbolism and hidden meanings woven skillfully into the poems.

Translations: With amazingly rhyme-accurate rendering that reads as if the poems had been penned in the English language to begin with, this translation preserves every single rollicking rhyme and the exact same cadences as in the originals. Each translated poem is one hundred percent line-accurate and evokes immediate nostalgia of the original in both rhyme and rhythm.

Analyses: Abol Tabol is, in fact, cleverly disguised socio-political satire, written to mock the state of society and administration of early 20th century colonial India. The book provides groundbreaking analysis, linking the poems to specific historical events and uncovering the targeted satire hidden in many of the poems. It answers questions like: Who is Knotty Woodoo (Katth Buro)? Which scandal in English parliament is the poem Sense of Essence (Gondho Bichar) about? Which Bengal-school painting is mocked in Ghostly Play (Bhooturey Khela)? Which three Indian statesmen were the The Delighted (Ahlaadi) in real life? The analysis is beautifully clear, concise and logical, and cites more than 50 separate bibliographical references .

This second edition includes minor revisions in translations, for improved correspondence to their originals and enhanced reader-experience in English. It also introduces substantially revised and entirely newly discovered information in the analyses. Original illustrations by Sukumar Ray have been incorporated by popular demand, replacing those in the first edition.

Sukumar Ray (30 October 1887 – 10 September 1923) was a Bengali children's poet, story writer, and playwright. His works include Aboltabol, a collection of poems, Pagla Dashu, and Chalachittachanchari, a collection of short stories. Ray is still one of the most popular children's authors in both West Bengal and Bangladesh, more than 80 years after his death.