Jan caught this shot one morning of our parakeet (His name is 'Birdie') communing with another bird from the wild who had flown up to the veranda
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Bangladesh poetry often uses the 'caged bird' image. Most notably, the poet / philosopher named Lalon for whom the caged bird was an image of the soul imprisoned in the body. In his songs he would ask the questions of when the caged bird would be set free and where would he fly to.
Rabindranath Tagore wrote a song- a dialogue between a caged bird and a bird of the wild. Written below is my translation. Birdie and his friend may indeed have been holding this discourse when the picture was taken.
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Bangladesh poetry often uses the 'caged bird' image. Most notably, the poet / philosopher named Lalon for whom the caged bird was an image of the soul imprisoned in the body. In his songs he would ask the questions of when the caged bird would be set free and where would he fly to.
Rabindranath Tagore wrote a song- a dialogue between a caged bird and a bird of the wild. Written below is my translation. Birdie and his friend may indeed have been holding this discourse when the picture was taken.
Caged bird lived in a cage of
gold
Forest
bird in forest nest
One
day they met; Hear now their thoughts-
What
sort of life each one held best.
Forest
bird said, “Caged Bird Friend.
Let
us in the forest meet.”
Caged
bird said, “Enter friend
my
cage of sole retreat
Forest
bird said, “No,
I
will not be chained earthbound.”
Caged
bird said, “And what-
Shall
I just fly around?”
Forest
bird sat outside singing
All
the songs he knew.
Caged
bird sang his learn-ed songs-
Each
in their tongue, the two.
Forest
bird said, “Caged bird friend,
Sing
tunes from forest pages!”
Caged
bird said, “Forest Friend,
I’ll
teach you songs of cages.”
Forest
bird said, “No,
Learn
learn-ed songs? I beg your pardon!”
Caged
bird said, “And what!
Shall
I sing wild songs from the garden?”
Forest
bird said, “See how rich blue sky
Beckons
without border?”
Caged
bird said, “My four square cage
Has
such symmetric order!”
Forest
bird said, “Fly to the clouds
See
yourself set free.”
Caged
bird said, “Tie thyself down
To
safe security.”
Forest
bird said, “No!
How
can you fly in there?”
Caged
bird said, And what?
In
the clouds, is there a chair?”
Fondness
grew between the two
But
they remained apart
Beaks
through bars desired touch
Eyes,
each other’s, sought.
Unable
to be understood or
understand
the other’s heart.
Feathers
flapping, two lone and lone
Called
out, “Come nigh!”
“I
cannot shut myself in jail,”
the
forest bird did cry.
The
caged bird said, “See, alas,
I
have no strength to fly.”
