401) BENGALI LITERATURE strict standard, his songs are neither indecent nor offensive nor immoral.! The tone is always proper and although there is the unmistakable directness of passion and the plain humanity of their wofz/s, there is absolutely nothing which should drive critics into such strong opinions of condemna- tion. Even during his life-time and ever since his death, Nidhu’s tappas obtained such extraordinary popularity and currency that even low and vulgar doggerels have passed off as his own. His Gifaratna has never since been re- printed and his tappas to-day are seldom favoured; the modern reader, therefore, understands by Nidhu’s tappis the cheap vile and worthless street-songs which are sold in the name of Nidhu. It is no wonder, therefore, that his songs are taken as synonymous with sdeud and bad taste. In reality, however, no fappa is more tender and exquisite than the tappa of Nidhu. There is not much of artistic workmanship in Nidhu Babu’s songs ; but there is lucidity as well as flavour in his poetical style, and tenderness and emotional force in his expression. There is no elabora- His artistic merit ৯ . and imperfections. tion or fineness, no verbal dexterity, no prosodic variety or profusion of conceits and ornaments. The poet is absolutely indifferent with regard to his rhymes which are often faulty nor is he studiously fastidious with regard to word-selection which is not often impeccable. There are very few songs which taken as a whole are invulnerable in form or artistic re- quirements ; and like most of the Kabiwalas he is singu- larly unequal, often great in single lines, in couplets, in ‘patches,’ but devoid of the gift of sustained utterance. Lines or verses like these taken at random
- An attempt has been made to analyse Nidhu Babu’s love-songs
and show that they are not sensual and vulgar in my article in the Sahitya Parigat Patrika, 1324-121.
