Today is Bliss is based on the following traditional North Indian song about the birth of the god Krishna. I learned the song from the Bangladeshi singer Marina Ahmad Alam. — A.S.

Traditional Hindi text: English translation:

“Aje to ananda, ananda.” Today was happiness, bliss!

“Purana Brahma sakala ghata bhyapak,” Brahma was there, everybody was there at Krishna’s birth.

So ayo gruha ananda,” But Krishna, instead, was born at his father Nanda’s house.

“Garaga par asara aura muni narada,” Garaga, a famous mathematician, computed the time of Krishna’s birth,

“Parhata veda shruti chanda,” and was writing the Veda-s, and chanting them in the rhythm of poetry.

“Hari ji wana prabhu gokula pragatta,” Krishna’s life in Gokula, where he was king, is important,

“Mitte sakala dukha dayanda,” for solved is every sorrow, all confusion, now that Krishna has been born into the world.

“Aje to ananda, ananda.” Today was happiness, bliss!