342 BENGALI LITERATURE poet as early as the beginning of the 18th century. Of this Kabiwala however, we know nothing except that he formed a party of professional songsters (fair dal) who used to sing in “the house of the rich” and that he had three disciples who in later times became famous Kabi- walas ; but we have no evidence to ascertain whether he was the originator of this form of singing or (which is more probable) whether he had his _ predecessors in the line from whom he inherited his art. Of his com- position, only one or two fragments have been rescued from oblivion by the indefatigable editor of the Prathzkar,' from which we quote this curious literary specimen এস এস চাদ্বদনি।; এ রসে নিরসো কোরো না ধনি ॥ তোমাতে আমাতে একই অঙ্গ, তুমি কমলিনী, আমি সে ভূঙ্গ, অনুমানে বুঝি আমি সে ভূজঙ্গ, তুমি আমার তায় রতন মণি ॥ তোমাতে আমাতে একই কায়া, আমি দেহ প্রাণ তুমি লো ছায়া, আমি মহাপ্রাণী তুমি লো মায়া, মনে মনে ভেবে দেখ আপনি ॥ It will be noticed that both in theme and style these songs, if they are genuine, are more of the nature of the tappa ; and we are told that in those days, such songs used to be sung, after the fashion of fappas, beginning with
1 Algo quotedin Prachin Kabi-samgraha, p. 127-8; Gupta-ratnoddhar, p- 205. The last four lines are omitted in Banga Sahitya Parichay, vol. ii, p. 1551, Also a little fragment প্রাণ তোরে হেরিয়ে দুখে দূরে গেল মোৌর। বিরহ-অনলে। হইলে! শীতলে।, জুড়ালো! প্রাণে! চকোর ॥
