rao ST KABIWALAS 381 supreme.' The secret of his excellence in this respect lies in the fact that in most of these songs Ram Basu the poet and the man rises superior to Ram Basu the mere literary craftsman, and that sincerity, _ Its sincerity, simpli- naturalness and simplicity constitute city and buman_in- - terest. the essence of his charm. It is not the superhuman picture of ideal good- ness but the simple picture of a Bengali mother and a daughter that we find in the Menaka and Uma of Ram Basu. We seem to hear the tender voice of our own mother, her anxious solicitude for her daughter, her weakness as well as strength of affection in lines like these. তারা-হারা হোয়ে নয়নের তারা হার! হোয়ে রই। সদা কই উমা কই আমার প্রাণ উমা কৈ। আমার সেই তারা-হার! ত্রিজগতের সার! বিধি এনে মিলালে। উমা চন্দ্রবদনে ডাকছে মা মা মা বোলে। উমা যত হেসে কয় ওতো! হাসি নয় যেন অভাগীর কপালে অনল জলে ॥ Menaka has repeatedly implored her husband to bring back her daughter whom she has not seen for over a year ; but her husband being apparently apathetic, the neglected daughter has come of herself and the tender heart of the mother bursts forth in gentle reproach upon the ponderously indifferent father. তবে নাকি উমার তন্থ কোরে ছিলে। গিরিরাজ ওহে শুন শুন তোমার মেয়ে কি বলে ॥
‘ A short comparative account of the Ggamani of Rim Basu, Kamala- kanta and DaSarathi Ray will be found in Bharatbarga, Kartik, 1325, p. 712. The earliest recorded Agamani song is that of Ram Prasad, and in this respect the Kabiwalas must have been considerably influenced by Ram Prasféd, Kamalikanta and other writers of devotional songs.
