Toru Dutt's The Young Captive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8HZ8aMvwZU&t=5s
The Young Captive
by Toru Dutt
The budding shoot ripens unharmed by the scythe,
Without fear of the press, on vine branches lithe,
Through spring-tide the green clusters bloom.
Is't strange, then, that I in my life's morning hour,
Though troubles like clouds on the dark present lower,
Half-frighted shrink back from my doom ?
Let the stern-hearted stoic run boldly on death!
I - I weep and I hope; to the north wind's chill breath
I bend, - then erect is my form!
If days there are bitter, there are days also sweet,
Enjoyment unmixed where on earth may we meet?
What ocean has never a storm?
Illusions the fairest assuage half my pain,
The walls of a prison enclose me in vain,
The strong wings of hope bear me far;
So escapes from the net of the fowler the bird,
So darts he through ether, while his music is heard
Like showers of sweet sound from a star.
Comes Death unto me? I sleep tranquil and calm.
And Peace when I waken stands by with her balm.
Remorse is the offspring of crimes;
My welcome each morning smiles forth in all eyes,
My presence is here, to sad brows, a surprise
Which kindles to pleasure at times.
The end of my journey seemed so far to my view;
Of the elm-trees which border the long avenue,
The nearest are only past by;
At the banquet of life I have barely sat down.
My lips have but pressed the bright foaming crown
Of the wine in my cup bubbling high.
I am only in spring, - the harvest I'd see,
From season to season like the sun I would be
Intent on completing my round;
Shining bright in the garden, - its honour and queen;
As yet but the beams of the morning I've seen,
I wait for eve's stillness profound.
O Death, thou canst wait; leave, leave me to dream,
And strike at the hearts where Despair is supreme,
And Shame hails thy dart as a boon!
For me, Pales has arbours unknown to the throngs,
The world has delights, the Muses have songs,
I wish not to perish too soon.
A prisoner myself, broken-hearted and crushed,
From my heart to my lips all my sympathies rushed,
And my lyre from its slumbers awoke;
At these sorrows, these wishes, of a captive, I heard,
And to rhyme and to measure I married each word
As softly and simply she spoke.
Should this song of my prison hereafter inspire
Some student with leisure her name to inquire,
This answer at least may be given, -
That grace marked her figure, her action, her speech,
And such as lived near her, blameless might teach
That life is the best gift of heaven
Note: Captive: Aimée de Coigny, duchess of Fleury.
Glossary
Festooned
Decorated
with ornaments
Angel-quire
An
alternative spelling of "angel-choir"
Sower
A
farmer; someone who scatters seed over land for planting (sowing)
Porchway
A
porch; a covered and enclosed entrance to a building
Well-nigh
Almost
Furrow
A
trench made in the ground by a plow, especially for planting seeds
August
Noble,
impressive, and respected
Waif
An
abandoned, neglected person, especially a young person who is thin and
unhealthy
Contemned
Treated
with contempt or scorn
Besmeared
To
be smeared with or covered with something sticky or oily
Jeered
Mocked
or taunted with loud cries
Drudge
A
person who does lowly or hard work
Morn
Morning
Vocation
One's
calling, chosen career, or job
Meed
A
reward or payment that has been earned
Palpitating
Beating,
shaking, or trembling
Lusty
Full
of energy and vigor
Wakeful
Unable
to or not needing to sleep
Press
A
device to squeeze juice out of fruits, like a wine press
Spring-tide
A
literary way of speaking about springtime
Half-frighted
Partly
scared
Stoic
Someone
who endures hardship without complaining or showing their pain
Assuage
Lessen
the intensity of something unpleasant; satisfy a craving
Fowler
Someone
who hunts and traps birds
Ether
The
clear sky; the area beyond the clouds
Balm
A
fragrant lotion or substance that is used to soothe
Boon
Something
beneficial or helpful
Pales
An
ancient Roman god of shepherds and livestock
Arbours
Shady
area formed by a cover of plants; an archaic term for gardens or lawns
Throngs
The
masses; large crowds of people
Lyre
A
stringed instrument shaped like a small harp, used extensively in ancient
Greece
Day-god
The
sun
Oblique
Slanting,
or at an angle
Tract
An
area of an unspecified, but large, size
Nebo
A
mountain in Jordan; it is from here that Moses viewed the Promised Land just
before his death in Deuteronomy
Moses
An
important prophet in Judaism and the Abrahamic religions who receives the Ten
Commandments from the Abrahamic God
Pisgah
The
summit of Mount Nebo, from where Moses views from the Promised Land
Gilead
A
Biblical kingdom east of the Jordan River
Ephraim
A
Biblical kingdom inhabited by the Tribe of Ephraim, located in the Center of
Canaan
Manasseh
A
Biblical kingdom inhabited by the Tribe of Manasseh, spanning the two banks of
the Jordan River
Unvexed
Serene;
free from disturbance
Judah
A
Biblical kingdom, located in the south of Canaan
Vale
Valley
Naphtali
One
of the sons of Jacob, who was allocated a share of land in the north of Canaan
Jericho
The
first city of Canaan conquered by the Israelites in the Bible
Phogor
A
mountain in Moab, where Balaam was guided by Balak in order to curse Israel
Mastic
A
type of tree that produces aromatic resin
Segor
A
Biblical city in the south of Canaan, where Lot and his daughters took refuge
Canaan
The
promised land of the Israelites in the Bible
Hebrews
The
Israelites; the descendants of Jacob in the Bible
Moab
The
Biblical kingdom of the Moabites, located to the east of the Dead Sea
Israel
The
land of the Jewish people; also a name for the Jewish people themselves; also a
name for Jacob, a progenitor of the Jewish people
Centenarian
Someone
who is 100 years old or older
Insensibly
Imperceptibly;
subtly
Levi
One
of the sons of Jacob; the grandfather of Moses
Cypress
A
type of tree with small cones and small, scaly leaves
Lo
An
exclamation used to show amazement or wonder
'Twixt
A
contraction of "betwixt"; between
Courser
A
type of war-horse; someone who hunts using superior eyesight
Curb
A
type of bit used in horse riding
Rod
A
tool or used to strike a horse and train it
Monut Horeb
The
mountain at which Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God
Wonted
Usual
or habitual
Redoubled
To
become much more numerous
Furze
Gorse;
a type of flowering plant
Heath
An
area of uncultivated land, usually where heather and gorse grow
Weathercock
A
weathervane shaped like a rooster
Firmament
The
heavens or the sky, especially when conveying the sense that they are tangible
Lustre
A
sheen or glow
Bough
The
primary branch of a tree
Gambolled
To
run and jump about playfully
Romulus and Remus
The
twin brothers who were nourished by a she-wolf and whose story ultimately tells
about the founding of Rome
Deluged
Flooded
or soaked through
Bespattered
To
be splashed all over with drops of liquid
Yoke
A
crosspiece that is used to fasten two animals, usually oxen, together and tie them
to an implement for labor
Pittance
A
small or inadequate amount of money paid to someone
Denizen
Someone
who lives in a certain place; an inhabitant
Cordillières
A
chain of high mountains
Dun
Dull
gray or brown
Eyrie
A
large nest of a bird of prey put high in a tree or on a cliff
Pampas
Large,
treeless plains in South America
Chili
Archaic
spelling of "Chile"
Spectre
A
ghost
The Cross of the South
A
specific constellation in the night sky
Andes
A
mountain range in South America
Amain
With
full force or with great speed
Bivouac
A
temporary camp without tents or coverings
Grape-shot
Cannon
ammunition consisting of several metal balls fastened together
Hoar-frost
Frost
resembling white hairs
Czar
Name
given to the emperors of Russia before 1917
Accurst
Alternate
spelling of accursed; hated or under a curse
Hannibal
A
general of ancient Carthage, which fought ancient Rome in the Punic Wars
Atilla
A
leader of the Huns known for his cruelty
Tumbril
A
two-wheeled cart used to carry tools for an army, or to carry prisoners
Ney
Michel
Ney, a french soldier and military commander under Napoleon
Cossacks
An
ethnic group within Russia; during the Napoleonic Wars, they were some of the
most feared soldiers
Dastard
A
despicable or dishonorable person
Bondsman
One
who assumes the responsibility of a bond; also an archaic term for slave or
servant
Expiation
Making
amends for having done wrong
Baugmaree
The
name of Toru Dutt's garden home, which inspired the natural settings of many of
her poems
Foliage
A
collection of plants and their leaves
Tamarind
A
tropical tree with edible fruit
Seemuls
The
cotton tree; a deciduous tropical Asian tree with red flowers
Primeval
Part
of the earliest history of the world; ancient
Flora
The
Roman god in charge of the blooming of flowers
Juno mien
Having
a face or attitude (mien) like Juno, queen of the Roman gods
Psyche
The
Roman goddess of the soul; wife of Cupid, god of love
Bower
A
shady area under trees
Whirring from the brake
Coming
out of a thicket of tropical ferns
Poet-anchorite
A
reclusive poet who has withdrawn from society
As erst at eventide
As
long, long ago, during the evenings
Ilimitable
Unlimited;
without end
Divers
Archaic
spelling of "diverse"
Therewith
With
the thing mentioned
Close-prest
Pressed
closely
Darkling
Characterized
by darkness
Casement
A
window set on hinges that opens like a door
Kokilas
A
koel; a type of Asian cuckoo bird
Casuarina
The
she-oak tree; a tree that is extensive in India
Shingle beach
A
beach covered in small-to-medium sized pebbles
Haply
By
chance or by accident
Water-wraith
A
phantom or ghost of the water
Fain
With
pleasure; gladly
Borrowdale
A
valley in the Lake District of England
Succour
Assistance
given in a time of need or hardship
Environ him on all sides
round
Surround
him
Videhan Queen
Queen
from the ancient kingdom of Videha in Northern India; a reference to Sita
Demonian
Of
an evil spirit; demonic
Rakshases
Fierce,
demonic creatures of Hindu and Buddhist mythology
Danavs
Universally
evil beings in Hindu mythology
Weal
That
which is best for someone or something
Loth
Reluctant
or unwilling to do something
Sylvan
Of
the forest or woods
Kuru
A
royal family in the Mahabharata that ultimately loses a series of contests and battles
to the Pandavas
Pandava
A
royal family in the Mahabharata that ultimately is victorious in a series of contests
and battles over the Kurus; they were supported by Krishna; like the Kurus,
they were instructed in archery by Dronacharjya
Inurned
To
place or bury something, especially in an urn
Saul
The
sal-tree, often used in India for timber
Betel nut
The
nut of the Areca palm tree
Neem
The
Indian Lilac tree
Bulbuls
A
family of birds related to the thrush
Mangoe-tope
A
cluster or grove of mango trees
Champac
A
type of magnolia tree known for its fragrant blossoms, often used in religious
ceremonies
Bok
A
type of tree, though it is unclear which is meant here; likely a beech or a
hummingbird tree
Nagessur
A
tree also known as the Indian rose chestnut
Sirish
A
type of shade tree also known as Mountain Cedar Wattle
Peepul
One
of the large fig tree species of India, often occupying a prominent place in
the village
Morass
An
area of boggy or swampy ground
Soothly; in sooth
Truthfully
Wishmo
Also
called Bhishma; another important archer in the Mahabharata
Arjuna
One
of five Pandava princes; the greatest archer of all in the Mahabharata and
Dronacharjya’s star pupil, perhaps best known for being Krishna’s addressee in
the Bhagavad
Gita
Pelf
Money
that is especially earned in a dishonest manner
Summary
The first stanza uses
the metaphor of shoots and grapes—which continue to grow, despite their
eventual death in being harvested—to shed light on the uniqueness of the young
woman's fear of death.
In the second stanza,
the young woman continues to express her fear of death, then suddenly pivots in
line 9 to reflect a changed perspective, one that understands the world as a
place of mixed joy and sadness, with one being impossible without the other. As
part of this change in perspective, the young woman uses the metaphor of an
ocean always being accompanied by storms to show that even the most beautiful
and tranquil scenes are tainted sometimes by violence and chaos.
In the third stanza,
the woman speaks of the vain hopes of freedom that keep her afloat, and she
expresses this hope with the metaphor of a bird freeing a fowler.
In the fourth stanza,
the young woman speaks of the peace that sleep brings, and her eventual
dejection upon waking to find that she is imprisoned.
The next two stanzas
express the young woman's lament that she will die in captivity and at a young
age. In the fifth stanza, the woman uses the metaphor of life as a grand
banquet at which she has barely feasted to suggest that her death will be
premature. Similarly, in the sixth stanza, the woman compares life to a
harvest, suggesting that she has only seen the early light of morning and now
must wait for death in the form of evening.
In the seventh
stanza—the last spoken by the woman—a direct address (an apostrophe) is given
to Death, and the woman says that Death ought to wait to take her from this
world, since there are still many places she would like to see.
The following stanzas
follow a poet, the true speaker of the poem, who informs us that he composed
this poem in response to hearing these words from the captive, whom he is
imprisoned with. The final stanza shows the speaker refusing to tell us the
young woman's name, but he does close by telling us of the woman's grace, her
spirit, and the role he sees for himself and his poem in teaching an audience
about the value of life.
This core narrative
already raises interesting questions about the tense relationship between the
speaker and the subject of the poem, the young woman. Are the words presented
in the poem intended to be an exact rendition of the woman's laments in jail,
or does the speaker-poet figure take liberties while rendering these laments in
poetic form? Is the poem meant to represent the lyric outpouring of emotion, as
is suggested throughout and in the penultimate stanza, or is it meant to convey
a moral lesson, as is suggested in the last stanza? The poem does not offer
much in terms of a definite answer, but such tension provides solid ground upon
which to anchor different thematic interpretations of the text.
Besides this
conceptual puzzle, however, there is much to interpret and analyze with respect
to the poem's content. The woman's engagement of "the bird" who
"escapes from the net of the fowler" and sings—as well as her
comparison of the self to grapes, shoots, and a harvest—suggest that the woman
yearns to be immersed in nature again and sees herself as deeply in touch with
natural cycles and processes. Her description of life as a banquet conveys both
a certain sense of entitlement and a view of life as procedural in the manner of
a banquet, in which certain, well-defined steps follow others to create a
cohesive ritual.
The presence of
Pales, the Muses, and the lyre in the poem calls forth imagery of classical
antiquity, which likely reflects the good education and socioeconomic comfort
that the poet and the young woman enjoyed before being imprisoned. This
emphasis on the young woman's grace and eloquence is made explicit in the last
stanza, where future "student[s]" are mentioned. It is possible,
then, that the poem is meant to be tragic not just in the sense that the title
figure's life will be cut short, but also in the sense that she and the speaker
have the shared experience of being targeted by revolutionaries for their
wealth. The poem may thus be instructive in the sense that it teaches us to
seize the day, but also in doing so conveys the lesson that even the best laid
plans can be undone and that even the most privileged can fall.
"The
Young Captive" is highly original and unique in terms of its narrative
voice. Further, the outpouring of emotions described by the speaker-poet in the
poem nicely mirrors Chénier's status as a forerunner of Romantic poetry. Still,
however, this translation, like so many others by Toru Dutt, bears her distinct
marks—an interest in the relationship between natural beauty and humanity, the
relationship of the poet to the subject, the experience of loss at a young age,
and the looming threat of death.
