śuṣka bāṅśera lāṭhikhāna, eta kare apamāna,
ei daśā karila, gosāñi
nā sahi' ki karite pāri, tāhe rahi mauna dhari',
corāra māke ḍāki' kāndite nāi
ei daśā karila, gosāñi
nā sahi' ki karite pāri, tāhe rahi mauna dhari',
corāra māke ḍāki' kāndite nāi
Synonyms
śuṣka-dry; bāṅśera-of bamboo; lāṭhi-khāna-a stick; eta-this; kare apamāna-insults; ei-this; daśā-condition; karila-made; gosāñi-the master; nā sahi'-not tolerating; ki-what; karite pāri-can we do; tāhe-at that time; rahi-we remain; mauna dhari'-keeping silent; corāra-of a thief; māke-for the mother; ḍāki'-calling; kāndite-to cry; nāi-is not possible.
Translation
"This flute is nothing but a dry stick of bamboo, but it becomes our master and insults us in so many ways that it forces us into a predicament. What can we do but tolerate it? The mother of a thief cannot cry loudly for justice when the thief is punished. Therefore we simply remain silent.