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In the Bazaars of Hyderabad by- Sarojini Naidu:ICSE CLASS IX

In the Bazaars of Hyderabad by- Sarojini Naidu

What do you sell O ye merchants?

Richly your wares are displayed.

Turbans of crimson and silver,

Tunics of purple brocade,

Mirrors with panels of amber,

Daggers with handles of jade.

Paraphrase: The poet Sarojini Naidu begins this poem by asking  a question to the merchants of the bazaars of Hyderabad.She asks them what they were selling there. She gets the immediate reply that they were selling crimson (dark red) coloured turbans, tunics (without sleeves loose and long clothing) of purple brocade (a thick cloth having gold or silver embroidery on it), mirrors with panels (frames) of amber (yellowish)  and the daggers with handles of jade (hard stone of green colour).

What do you weigh, O ye vendors?
Saffron and lentil and rice.
What do you grind (crush), O ye maidens?
Sandalwood, henna, and spice.
What do you call , O ye pedlars?
Chessmen and ivory dice.

Paraphrase: The poet Sarojini Naidu also asks  a question to the vendors. She asks them what they are weighing. She quickly gets their response when they say that they are weighing saffron( It is a bright yellow powder made from a plant), lentil (it is a green coloured seed used as ‘daal’: masuur)  and rice. Then she seems to move forward and asks some maidens as to what they are grinding (crushing). They reply that they are grinding sandalwood, henna and spice. Again she moves on and asks the pedlars (In the past, some sellers used to travel from one place to the other with the load of their goods on their heads and those persons are called pedlars). She gets the answer that they sell Chessmen (thirty two pieces used in the game of chess) and the ivory dice.

What do you make, O ye goldsmiths?
Wristlet and anklet and ring,
Bells for the feet of blue pigeons
Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing,
Girdles of gold for dancers,
Scabbards of gold for the king.

Paraphrase: After that, the poet moves to the goldsmiths and asks what items of jewellery they are making. They tell her that they are making several items of jewellery like wristlets, anklets and rings, very thin bells (as thin as the wings of a dragon fly)  for the feet of blue pigeons, girdles (belts worn around the waist) for the dancers and scabbard (covers for the swords: sheaths) for the king.

What do you cry,O ye fruitmen?
Citron, pomegranate, and plum.
What do you play ,O musicians?
Cithar, sarangi and drum.
what do you chant, O magicians?
Spells for aeons to come.

Paraphrase: Next, she visits the fruit-sellers and asks them the same type of question. They also reply the poet that they sell various kinds of fruit like citron, pomegranates and plums. She moves further and her eyes fall on the musicians. She asks them what they play. The tell her the names of instruments like ‘sitar’, ‘sarangi’ and ‘drum’. She even asks the magicians as to what they chant (mantras and religious words are chanted {sung/recited)). They say that they chant to call the thousands of years to come.

What do you weave, O ye flower-girls
With tassels of azure and red?
Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom,
Chaplets to garland his bed.
Sheets of white blossoms new-garnered
To perfume the sleep of the dead. 

Paraphrase: Finally the poet asks the girls what they are weaving with the flowers and the tassels (bunch of threads) of blue and red colours. They reply that they are making crowns for the foreheads of the bridegroom and garlands to decorate his bed. They are also making sheets of white fresh flowers to spread their perfumes for the dead in their graves.

In this way the poet describe the traditional bazaar of Hyderabad in a very vivid manner