348 BENGALI LITERATURE “sta CACHE CZ CAM, STE BAITS, রাখালের বেশ এখন কোথায় লুকালে। মাতুলে৷। বধিলে, প্রতুলো৷ করিলে, গোপ গোপীকুলে,
- গোকুলে অকুলে ভাসায়ে দিলে ॥
These earlier metrical essays of the Kabiwalas, to judge from the few extant fragments;are thus not so crude as to be comtemptuously set aside ; but they are at the same time not so creditable in view of the fact that simultaneously, in another sphere, Bharat Chandra was charming his royal patron with his art and his music, Durgaprasad was paint- ing his picturesque description of the descent of the sacred river, RameSvara was narrating his exceedingly human and homely account of Siba Gauri, and Ram-prasad was pouring out his soul in devotional ecstasy. In the effusions of the next generation we find better quality and a greater elaboration of Kabi-poetry. Simulta- neously with a certain advance in the Kabi-song of the এ artistic direction, both in form and next generation (about ‘ or after 1760 to 1830). substance, we hear of systematic organisation of “parties” (Aadbir da?) and “poetical combats” (Aabi-yuddha or kabir-ladat) which no doubt thrilled many a heart in days of yore but with which the literary historian has no practical concern except in so far as this circumstance affected the making of these songs and their poetical quality. Into the details of these poetical ‘ flytings,’ comparatively uninspiring to a modern reader, it is not necessary for our purpose to enter. We need not narrate at length how Bhabani Banik, until re- inforeed by Ram Basu, must have found a tough opponent in Nitai Bairagi! ; how unlucky Haru , Organisation of = Thakur, an old veteran and winner of parties” and poetical ; j combats. hundred “fights” as he was, had the humiliation of being worsted not only
' Samnbad Prabhakar, Agrah&yan, 1261, p. 6,
