Among the many songs penned by the illustrious poet and novelist Nabakanta Barua, the highest number have been composed and performed by the eminent academician and linguist Dr. Birendra Nath Datta. Those songs garnered immense praise and appreciation from everyone, ranging from connoisseurs to ordinary listeners, ensuring that Dr. Birendra Nath Datta’s long-standing efforts to give musical expression to Nabakanta Barua’s creations never went in vain.
The poet himself wrote that if Biren Datta had not discovered the lyricist within him, Nabakanta Barua would have remained merely a poet, novelist, children’s author, or professor. It is the melodious tunes, perfectly aligned with Nabakanta Barua’s poetic expression, that lend a distinct and distinguished character to these songs.
Datta had ushered Nabakanta Barua into the world of music as one of his very own. Nabakanta Barua was a poet-lyricist. In the realm of a poet-lyricist, every song is a distinct poetic creation. Rather than the sheer quantity of Barua’s songs, the two critical aspects are their rich diversity and, above all, their exceptional qualitative excellence. Based on their theme and objective, the lyric poems of Nabakanta Barua can be classified into a few distinct categories: thought-provoking, descriptive, emotion-driven, and humorous. All humorous songs are songs suitable for children. The precise choice of words matching the theme and emotion, combined with a rich, meaningful musicality, is what makes those songs so appealing.
In 1951, when Nabakanta Barua published his milestone Assamese modern poetry anthology, He Aranya He Mahanagar, Dr. Birendra Nath Datta was actively working as a radio artist. Considered a milestone in Assamese poetry, the collection profoundly reflects modern urban alienation, existential crises, and the conflict between nature and mechanical city life.
Around the same time, Dr. Birendra Nath Datta was invited once a month to perform songs on All India Radio (AIR), which led him to constantly search for new material to meet the demand for fresh songs. One day, a staff member from the All India Radio station handed a songbook to Biren Datta. The songs were written by the revered poet Nabakanta Barua. Datta eagerly copied down his favourite songs from the book. The two songs he liked the most from that collection were Akash Amak Okoni Akash Diya and Boroxa Tomar Sokut Meghor Anjan.
Dr. Biren Datta did not compose music by sitting closely alongside the lyricist Nabakanta Barua. Instead, Barua would write the lyrics first, and Datta would compose the music later.
The profound meaning and rhythmic resonance of those lyrics stirred the very soul of Dr. Biren Datta. Sometimes the melody came to him instantly, while at other times it required a great deal of effort. Once a tune was ready, Datta would play it for Nabakanta Barua. Fortunately, he always received Barua’s wholehearted support, as he was granted complete creative freedom with the music.
Among the many songs penned by Nabakanta Barua and set to melody by Dr. Biren Datta, several held a special place in Datta’s heart. Yet, it was through the iconic song Akash Amak Okoni Akash Diya that Dr. Birendra Nath Datta truly wished to be remembered.
Subsequently, a succession of songs emerged from this highly successful collaboration, including Boroxa Tomar Sokut Meghor Anjan, Mon Mor Bohagor Xirno Nodi, Xou Pothoror Kohua Phool, Bohagor Duporiya, and O Dhundhuniya Mor Akonmani. O Dhundhuniya Mor Akonmani was a children’s song, while Bohagor Duporiya achieved immense popularity. The latter remained one of Datta’s most cherished tracks.
Another song written by Barua and composed by Biren Datta, Bogoli Boga Phot Di Ja, was deeply intertwined with Datta’s emotions. Gifted to him on his wedding day, the song remained a deeply cherished treasure that began as a melodic rendition in a child’s voice. This was followed by another popular number, Rohimola Uronir Majere. Then came another song from the sixties, which was actually an excerpt from a poem titled Raavan.
Junukar Gaan (or Junuka’s Song) is a poignant creation. The opening lines read: Mor Junuka Edin Asil Matit Bagori/Dukhor Dhemali Jaalot Bhagori Bhagori (Once, my little Junuka lay rolling on the ground, weary and exhausted by the painful game of life). Junuka was the poet’s youngest daughter. She had lovingly pleaded with her father to write a song bearing her name. When Nabakanta Barua penned the lyrics and Datta set them to tune, Junuka was absolutely ecstatic upon hearing the finished melody.
Iman Akashe Awori Rakhise/Tothapitu Mor Okoni Akash Ruddho (Even though such a vast sky surrounds me, my own little patch of sky remains restricted/confined) — In his brief composition, Nabakanta Barua meditates on the universe and existence, contrasting the boundless infinity of the cosmos with the profound isolation of the human soul.
These two songs have held a very special place in their family and personal lives.
When tragedy struck in 1999 with the sudden death of his beloved daughter, Junuka, Nabakanta Barua was left utterly devastated. Turning his monumental grief into art, Barua penned the deeply moving poem Niyorore Phool (Flower of Dew), using the metaphor of a short-lived, delicate flower to mirror his daughter’s untimely passing. Its musical adaptation boasts an iconic legacy, originally composed and sung by Dr. Bhupen Hazarika and later popularised by modern icon Zubeen Garg. The composition stands out in Assamese literature as a profoundly moving expression of paternal grief.
Ahinak Kune Ane (Who Brings Autumn?) stands as a timeless masterpiece of Assamese musical heritage, capturing the gentle arrival of the autumn month of Ahin with profound poetic sensitivity. Originally released in 1971, this iconic song blooms from a rare alignment of artistic brilliance. It weaves together the delicate, evocative verses of Nabakanta Barua, the soulful voice and tuning of Biren Datta, and the rich composition of Tafazzul Ali. Together, they created an enduring melody that beautifully mirrors the shifting landscape of Assam as summer yields to the crisp, golden embrace of autumn.
Mukhot Dudal Dubori Bon Dudal Kohorika (Two blades of Dubori grass, two straw sticks in the mouth) is an elegant Assamese song honouring nature and the humble house sparrow. It beautifully depicts sparrows frolicking in a traditional courtyard. Due to its environmental theme, the piece is frequently performed during World Sparrow Day celebrations.
Nabakanta Barua’s Jilir Mate Gobhir Kore Nirjanota (The chirping of the cricket deepens the solitude) is a legendary Assamese modern classic song, originally recorded for All India Radio Dibrugarh. Composed, tuned, and beautifully rendered by Dr. Birendra Nath Dutta, its soulful melody and unique acoustic arrangements — featuring a defining sitar piece by Pradyumna Das — have kept this masterpiece alive for decades. Akakhe Botahe Iman Xuror Gungun (The sky and the breeze hum with a myriad of melodies) is another track that beautifully blends deep poetic imagery of nature with a soothing, acoustic melody.
Later, Biren Datta received another new composition by Nabakanta Barua. The lyrics of this new song perfectly resonated with the unspoken emotions searching for expression within Dr. Birendra Nath Datta’s heart, seamlessly merging his feelings with the melody. That song was: Tomar Karone Jao Phool Tulibole/Tumi Asa Phoolore Majot/Tomar Karone Jao Gaan Gabole/Tumi Asa Gaanore Majot (I go to pluck flowers for you, yet you dwell amidst the flowers. I go to sing songs for you, yet you reside within the songs).
In the 1990s, a couple of incomplete songs by Nabakanta Barua were newly completed, one of which is: Ipare Jetiya Phoolil Palash, Sipare Soril Shewali (When the Palash bloomed on this bank, the Shewali shed on the other bank).
Subsequently, toward the end of the century, two more songs were created. One was Aahin Ahai Nai/Bhodori Shewali Tai (Autumn is yet to arrive, for she is the premature jasmine blossoming in the late summer monsoons), and the other was Pranor Tirthajol (The Holy Water of life). Although these two songs did not gain widespread popularity among listeners, they filled the composer’s heart with a profound sense of fulfillment.
The newly composed songs — Hoi Gudu Nugudu Beli Dile Bhati/Rojar Gorokhiyai Been Bai Raati (As the twilight sun gently dips into the west, the royal cowherd plays his lute, serenading the night to rest) and O Phool O Phool Nuphoolo Kiyo/Chakur Panire Kiyo Jeep Nidiyo (O flower, O flower, why don’t you bloom? Why don’t you moisten yourself with tears?) — could never be performed for poet-lyricist Nabakanta Barua by Biren Datta after they were set to tune. Before they could be shared with him, Nabakanta Barua breathed his last.
It can be wholeheartedly asserted that Dr. Birendra Nath Datta possessed the rare artistic capability to fully materialise the thematic expressions of poet and lyricist Nabakanta Barua, seamlessly translating the written word into a magnificent musical reality. Barua himself candidly acknowledged Dr. Birendra Nath Datta’s significant contribution to his emergence as a lyricist.
The artistic communion between Nabakanta Barua and Dr. Birendra Nath Datta was far more than a mere partnership of words and music; it was a profound confluence of souls that gave Assamese culture some of its most enduring, poetic melodies. Through their shared creative journey, they ensured that the timeless harmony they created would forever echo in the heart of Assamese heritage.