Sankaram | Naidu Songs by Just a Theory Press

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Naidu Songs

Three poems by Sarojini Naidu for voice and piano

Music by Kamala Sankaram

Libretto by Sarojini Naidu

Program Note

Sarojini Naidu was a suﬀragist and activist for Indian independence, as well as being revered for her lyrical poetry. ough they were written more than 100 years ago, her poems still capture the energy of India, and particularly Hyderabad, where my own family lives. It felt only natural to set these poems and hopefully introduce them to a wider audience in the West.

is cycle of three poems is built using a mix of ragas from the Hindustani and Carnatic traditions, each chosen for its rasa or emotional valence. e rst song, "In the Bazaars of Hyderabad," begins in the joyful world of Raga Khamaj, transitions to the more mysterious Hindol and concludes in an Arabic maqam (Maqam Nahawand) to pay tribute to Hyderabad's long multicultural heritage. "e Coromandel Fishers" is set in the Carnatic raga Jalarnavam, which has a connection to the ocean. e nal song, "Cradle Song," is written in Vasantha, a warm and lovely raga.

1. In the Bazaars of Hyderabad

What do you sell O ye merchants?

What do you cry, O ye fruitmen? Richly your wares are displayed. Citron, pomegranate, and plum. Turbans of crimson and silver,

What do you play, O musicians? Tunics of purple brocade, Cithar, sarangi, and drum. Mirrors with panels of amber,

What do you chant, O magicians? Daggers with handles of jade. Spells for aeons to come.

What do you weigh, O ye vendors?

What do you weave, O ye ower-girls Saﬀron and lentil and rice.

What do you grind, O ye maidens?

With tassels of azure and red?

Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom, Sandalwood, henna, and spice. Chaplets to garland his bed.

What do you call, O ye pedlars?

Sheets of white blossoms new-garnered Chessmen and ivory dice. To perfume the sleep of the dead.

What do you make, O ye goldsmiths? Wristlet and anklet and ring, Bells for the feet of blue pigeons Frail as a dragon-y's wing, Girdles of gold for dancers, Scabbards of gold for the king.

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2. e Coromandel Fishers

Rise, brothers, rise; the wakening skies pray to the morning light, e wind lies asleep in the arms of the dawn like a child that has cried all night. Come, let us gather our nets from the shore and set our catamarans free, To capture the leaping wealth of the tide, for we are the kings of the sea!

No longer delay, let us hasten away in the track of the sea gull's call, e sea is our mother, the cloud is our brother, the waves are our comrades all. What though we toss at the fall of the sun where the han of the sea-god drives?

He who holds the storm by the hair, will hide in his breast our lives.

Sweet is the shade of the cocoanut glade, and the scent of the mango grove, And sweet are the sands at the full o' the moon with the sound of the voices we love; But sweeter, O brothers, the kiss of the spray and the dance of the wild foam's glee; Row, brothers, row to the edge of the verge, where the low sky mates with the sea.

3. Cradle Song

From groves of spice, O'er elds of rice, Athwart the lotus-stream, I bring for you, Aglint with dew

A little lovely dream.

Sweet, shut your eyes, e wild re-ies

Dance through the fairy neem; From the poppy-bole

For you I stole

A little lovely dream.

Dear eyes, good-night, In golden light

e stars around you gleam; On you I press

With soft caress

A little lovely dream.

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ree poems by Sarojini Naidu for voice and piano

sil-ver, Tunics - ofpurple - brocade. - Mirrors - withpanels - of am-ber. Daggers - withhandles - of jade. f Whatdoyouweigh,

Whatdoyougrind, O ye maid ens? -

Sandal - -wood,henna, - and spice.

Whatdoyoucall, O ye

ped lars? - Chessmen - andivor - -y dice.

Bells forthe feetofblue pig-eons frailas a dragon - -y's wing, Girdles - ofgold for dan-cers, scabbards - ofgoldforthe king. Whatdoyoucry,

fruit men? - Cit ron, - pome --granate, - plum.

Crownsforthebrow ofabridegroom. - Chaplets - togarland - hisbed.

Sheetsofwhiteblossoms - new garn - -ered to perfume the

2. e Coromandel Fishers

praytothemorning - light, e p wind lies asleep - in the p sub.

arms of thedawn likea childthathascriedall night.

letusgather - ournetsfromthe shore and set ourcat-amar - -ans free,to

cap ture - the leap ing - wealth of the tide, for wearethekingsofthesea!

holds thestorm by thehair will p sub. hideinhisbreastour lives. p p sub. Sweet is the shade oftheco-coanut - glade andthescentoftheman-go

grove. Andsweet are thesands at the full of the moon withthesoundofthevoices - we love. But lyrical sweeter, - O brothers, - thekissofthespray andthedanceofthe

wild foam's glee. Row, brothers, - row totheedgeofthe

verge wherethelow sky mates with thesea. rall. Broad

- ournetsfromthe

shore andset ourcat-amar - -ans free, to cap ture - the leap ing -

wealth of the tide, for we are the rall.

3. Cradle Song

q = 68

a lullaby From p

p sweet, lyrical

groves ofspice,o'er elds ofrice, a-thwartthe lot-us stream, I

bring foryou, a glint - withdew, Alove-ly lit-tle dream.

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JAT-138-079-VS

Sankaram: Naidu Songs