Ill-Repute

Why there are tears in your eyes, my darling?
Tell me, who has told you what
While writing
You have smeared your face with ink?
And they have called you dirty?
Fie, fie, is it right?
Let them call the full moon dirty
When it is stained.

My dear
Everybody finds faults with you
With you they are never happy.
At play
When you tear your dress
They call you worthless
Fie, fie, how's that?
When morning smiles through torn clouds
Will they call it bad?

Don't pay any heed to what they say
Let them go on abusing you
As you love sweetmeats
Should they call you greedy?
Fie, fie, what is this?
What should we call them who love you?

Transcreation of the poem Apajash from the collection Shishu by Rabindranath Tagore.