Abol Tabol facts for kids
Cover page of the book.
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| Author | Sukumar Ray |
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| Country | India |
| Language | Bengali |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Publisher | U. Ray and Sons |
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Publication date
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September 19, 1923 |
| Text | Abol Tabol at Wikisource |
Abol Tabol (Bengali: আবোল তাবোল) means "The Weird and the Absurd." It is a famous collection of poems and rhymes for children. A talented writer named Sukumar Ray wrote these poems.
The book was first published on September 19, 1923. It was released by U. Ray and Sons publishers. Abol Tabol has 46 poems with titles and seven short rhymes without titles. All of them are known as "nonsense literature." This means they are silly and fun, often with made-up words or strange ideas.
What Makes Abol Tabol Special?
The poems in Abol Tabol opened up a new world of silly fantasy for Bengali readers. Sukumar Ray was very good at using puns and wordplay in his poetry. This book shows some of his best work.
Even though it wasn't clear at first, many poems in Abol Tabol have hidden messages. They cleverly made fun of society and how things were run in India long ago. This was during a time when the British ruled India.
Sukumar Ray was very smart. He used silly rhymes for kids to share his ideas. This helped him avoid problems with the British government. They were very strict about what people could write. People have studied the poems since 2017. They found connections between the poems and real events from that time. This shows how clever Ray was with his hidden messages.
Funny Characters in Abol Tabol
আর যেখানে যাও না রে ভাই সপ্তসাগর পার,
কাতুকুতু বুড়োর কাছে যেও না খবরদার!
সর্বনেশে বৃদ্ধ সে ভাই যেও না তার বাড়ি-
কাতুকুতুর কুল্পি খেয়ে ছিঁড়বে পেটের নাড়ি
A portion from Sukumar Ray's Katukutu Buro
শিবঠাকুরের আপন দেশে ,
আইন কানুন সর্বনেশে!
কেউ যদি যায় পিছলে প'ড়ে,
প্যায়দা এসে পাক্ড়ে ধরে ,
কাজির কাছে হয় বিচার-
একুশ টাকা দন্ড তার।।
A portion from Sukumar Ray's Ekushe Ain
Sukumar Ray created many characters in Abol Tabol. These characters became very famous in Bengali stories and culture. Some of them are even used in everyday sayings!
Here are some of the most well-known characters from "Abol Tabol":
- Katth Buro (from the poem "Katth Buro")
- Head Officer Burrobabu (from the poem "Gnof Churi")
- Kumro Potash (from the poem "Kumro Potash")
- Gangaram (from the poem "Sat Patro")
- Chandidaser Khuroe (from the poem "Khuror Kal")
- Bombagorer Raja (from the poem "Bombagorer Raja")
- Hnukumukho Hyangla (from the poem "Hnukumukho Hyangla")
- Ramgorurer Chhana (from the poem "Ramgorurer Chhana")
- Tnyash Goru (from the poem "Tnyash Goru")
- Shashtthi Charan (from the poem "Palowan")
- Panto Bhoot (from the poem "Bhooturey Khela")
- Nera (from the poem "Nera Beltolay Jay Kobar")
- Katukutu Buro (from the poem "Katukutu Buro")
English Translations of Abol Tabol
Abol Tabol has been translated into English many times. This allows more people to enjoy Sukumar Ray's funny poems.
One of the most complete translations is Rhymes of Whimsy - The Complete Abol Tabol. Niladri Roy translated it, and it was first published in 2017. The second edition came out in 2020. This version includes all 53 poems. It also has the original drawings by Sukumar Ray. There is even a special edition that shows both the Bengali and English versions side-by-side.
Sukumar Ray's own son, Satyajit Ray, also translated some of the poems. His book was called Nonsense Rhymes and came out in 1970.
