IN THE BAZARS OF HYDERABAD by SAROJINI NAIDU-ICSE 8

                                         

What do you sell, 0 ye merchants?

Richly your wares are displayed,

Turbans of crimson and silver,

Tunics of purple brocade,

Mirrors with panels of amber,

Daggers with handles of jade.


What do you weigh, 0 ye vendors?

Saffron and lentil and rice.

What do you grind, 0 ye maidens?

Sandalwood, henna and spice.

What do you call, 0 ye pedlars?

Chessmen and ivory dice.


What do you make, 0 ye goldsmiths?

Wristlet and anklet and ring,

Bells for the feet of blue pigeons,

Frail as a dragon-fly's wing,

Girdles of gold for the dancers,

Scabbards of gold for the king.


What do you cry, 0 ye fruitmen?

Citron, pomegranate and plum.

What do you play, 0 musicians?

Cithar, sarangi and drum.

What do you chant, 0 magicians?

Spells for the aeons to come.


What do you weave, 0 ye flower-girls?

With tassels of azure and red?

Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom,

Chaplets to garland his bed,

Sheets of white blossoms new-gathered

To perfume the sleep of the dead.

MEANING:

STANZA 1 – In the very first line of the poem, the poetess asks the merchants about what they are selling. She is surprised to see the goods displayed they are really  attractive to the buyers.The merchants says that they are selling crimson (deep red)  and silver coloured turbans, purple brocade tunics, mirrors with amber-frame and daggers with handles made of jade. These all popular things are found in the bazars of Hyderabad.

STANZA 2- The poetess then visits the vendors, the maidens and the pedlars. She asks the vendors what they are weighing. The vendors reply that they are weighing saffron, lentil and rice for sale. The poetess also asks the maiden girls what they are grinding and they reply that they are grinding sandalwood, henna and spices. Then the pedlars are asked in curiosity what they are calling as their trade cry and they  are also seen selling chessmen and dice made from ivory. Things of daily household necessities are also sold here.

STANZA 3 - The poet now moves to the goldsmiths to ask them what they are making. They are making wristlet, anklet and ring which are usually worn by common Indian women and the delicate bells to be tied to the feet of blue pigeons. And the bells are as thin and lightweight as the wings of a dragonfly. They are also making golden girdles for the dancers and golden sheaths for keeping the king’s swords. Here we get an idea of the attires and ornaments used then.

STANZA 4 - In the fourth stanza of The Bazaars of Hyderabad, we find the  fruits like citron, pomegranate and plum are being sold. The musicians are playing on sitar, sarangi and drum and the magicians  are chanting the spells to bring in aeons (a divine power) who would help him perform his magical tricks. All these takes to us to a different world of variety.

STANZA 5 – At last the poetess asks the flower girls what they are weaving. With the azure (deep blue) and red tassels (strands of flower) they girls are making garlands for the bride and the groom  to adorn their bed for the wedding night. They are also making sheets of newly brought white flowers for  the dead man’s grave.It says of the uses of flowers for happiness and sorrow.

 QUESTIONS:

1.    Who is writer of the poem?

2.    What is the poetess describing in the poem?

3.    Give the difference between – ‘vendors and merchant’ and  ‘amber and jade’.

4.    Describe the activities of vendors, maidens, goldsmith, musicians and pedlars.

5.    What are -  scabbards, girdles, and chaplets?

6.      What do you sell, 0 ye merchants?

Richly your wares are displayed,

Turbans of crimson and silver,

Tunics of purple brocade,

Mirrors with panels of amber,

Daggers with handles of jade.

Who are the merchants? Why are they there? Describe the appearance of the goods sold by the merchants? The begins with a question mark – Why? Who will buy ‘the tunics of purple brocade’ and’daggers with handles of jade’? Give the meaning of  - mirrors with panels of amber.

7.      What do you weigh, 0 ye vendors?

Saffron and lentil and rice.

What do you grind, 0 ye maidens?

Sandalwood, henna and spice.

What do you call, 0 ye pedlars?

Chessmen and ivory dice.

What does the poet want to show? What do the maidens grind and why? What does Chessmen and ivory dice mean?

8.      What do you make, 0 ye goldsmiths?

Wristlet and anklet and ring,

Bells for the feet of blue pigeons,

Frail as a dragon-fly's wing,

Girdles of gold for the dancers,

Scabbards of gold for the king.

To whom is it said? Why? What do the goldsmith make and for whom ?

9.      What do you cry, 0 ye fruitmen?

Citron, pomegranate and plum.

What do you play, 0 musicians?

Cithar, sarangi and drum.

What do you chant, 0 magicians?

Spells for the aeons to come.

Name the fruits and musical elements displayed in the bazar?Give the meaning of - Spells for the aeons to come.

10.  What do you weave, 0 ye flower-girls?

With tassels of azure and red?

Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom,

Chaplets to garland his bed,

Sheets of white blossoms new-gathered

To perfume the sleep of the dead.

Who are the flower-girls? What are they doing? What are the - tassels of azure and red?Flowers are used in both happiness and sorrow – how?

11.  What is the theme of the poem?

12.  Justify the title of the poem.