ক CHAPTER XI Love-Lyrics AND DevorionaL Sonas Leaving aside the new prose-writing, the period of Bengali Literature between 1760 and 1830 may be not unfitly described as a lyrical interval in which a multitude of productions, varied grave and gay ditties, ‘abt, tappas, yatra, patnchali, dhap, kirtan, baud, devotional songs and exquisite bits of love-lyrics were pouring upon the literary world a flood of delicious harmony. A lyric interval be- There is, no doubt, a sprinkling of tween 1760-1830. narrative and descriptive verse of the more serious type, but barring this, every poet was a natural vocalist and never there was a time when little songs were more abundant. Although earelessly fashioned, these charming little things possess all the attributes of a successful song and seem to be alive with the energy of music. Even the most insignificant
- person in this synod of latter-day poets has a constant
tendency to break unawares into singing and catch the spirit of melody which seemed to be in the air. The spirit itself is not socommon and the gift of song-making not so usual; let us therefore value them while they are here and give them their due homage. One specific and important phase of this song-literature is represented by fappa-writers who Fappa-writers. possess this vocal quality in no mean degree ; but to many a modern reader the exact signification of the term tappa seems to have been lost. A tappa is generally taken hp of the word to be a melodious trifle, a savoury little lyrie of the erotie type in which
