There are some things which remain eternal – one such is our human nature. Despite the unimaginable progress human beings have made over centuries, through science and technology, they at their core have remained almost unchanged from the dawn of civilization. Their emotions have not changed – only the way they are expressed, probably has.
Rabindranath Tagore, a polymath, a philosopher and above all a humanist, through his works has time and again portrayed the entire gamut of such feelings and sentiments. His collection of poems SONG OFFERINGS (Bengali – GITANJALI), for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, is a testament to this.
There are 157 poems in this collection and all of them are the poet’s translations of his own writings in Bengali – some of which are poems, while some are songs.
This Blog Series shall delve into these immortal creations of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore through the reading of his poems in English and through the recitation of their corresponding Bengali versions or through the rendition of those poems which had been set to tune as songs.
In this article, the focus is on the first poem in the collection: Thou Hast Made Me Endless
The following is the original version of the poem – it is written in archaic English which was prevalent in that time:
Thou Hast Made Me Endless – Archaic English (Original)
Thou hast made me endless, such is thy pleasure.
This frail vessel thou emptiest again and again,
and fillest it ever with fresh life.
This little flute of a reed
thou hast carried over hills and dales,
and hast breathed though it melodies eternally new.
At the immortal touch of thy hands
my little heart loses its limits in joy and gives birth
to utterance ineffable.
Thy infinite gifts come to me only
on these very small hands of mine.
Ages pass, and still thou pourest
and still there is room to fill.
This now, is the transcribed adaptation of it in modern English:
Thou Hast Made Me Endless – Modern English (Transcribed)
You have made me endless, such is your pleasure.
This frail vessel you empty again and again,
and fill it ever with fresh life.
This little flute of a reed
you have carried over hills and dales,
and has breathed though it melodies eternally new.
At the immortal touch of your hands
my little heart loses its limits in joy and gives birth
to utterance ineffable.
Your infinite gifts come to me only
on these very small hands of mine.
Ages pass, and still you pour
and still there is room to fill.
For better comprehension of the array of emotions portrayed in this piece, here is a reading of it –
Now let us take a look at the Bengali poem from which it was freely translated by Tagore himself.
Poem in Bengali
আমারে তুমি অশেষ করেছ,
এমনি লীলা তব–
ফুরায়ে ফেলে আবার ভরেছ
জীবন নব নব।।
কত-যে গিরি কত-যে নদী -তীরে
বেড়ালে বহি ছোটো এ বাঁশিটিরে,
কত-যে তান বাজালে ফিরে ফিরে
কাহারে তাহা কব।।
তোমারি ওই অমৃতপরশে আমার হিয়াখানি
হারালো সীমা বিপুল হরষে,
উথলি উঠে বাণী।
আমার শুধু একটি মুঠি ভরি
দিতেছ দান দিবস-বিভাবরী–
হল না সারা, কত-না যুগ ধরি
কেবলই আমি লব।।
For those who cannot read the Bengali script, here is the poem written in Roman Alphabets –
Poem in Roman Alphabets:
Aamare tumi ashesh korechho, emoni lila tabo –
Phuraye phele aabar bhorechho, jibano nabo nabo.
Kato je giri kato je nodi-tire
Berale bohi chhoto e bnaashitire,
Kato je taan baajale phire phire
Kaahare taaha kabo.
Tomari oi amritoparoshe aamar hiyakhaani
Haaralo seema bipulo haroshe, uthali utthe baani.
Aamar shudhu ekti mutthi bhori
Ditechho daan dibaso-bibhabori –
Holo na saara kato na jug dhori
Keboli aami labo.
Before we move on to reading an interpretation of the poem, let us listen to music maestro Pankaj Kumar Mullick sing this song.
This rendition of his is from the archives of Pankaj Mullick Music and Art Foundation comprising his private recordings from stage shows and public performances, among others.
An earlier rendition by Pankaj Mullick of this song was recorded in 1949 and been published by HMV now Saregama India Ltd. on January 01, 1950.
These are a few details regarding the song –
Song Title: Amare Tumi Ashesh Korechho | আমারে তুমি অশেষ করেছ
Lyrics & Music: Rabindranath Tagore
Genre: Rabindrasangeet
Parjaay: Puja (54) | Upa-parjaay: Bondhu
Taal: Jhampak | Raag: Chhayanat
Written on: 1912 (7 Baishakh 1319)
Place: Shantiniketan
Collection: Geetimalya | Swarabitan: 39
Notation by: Dinendranath Tagore / Bhimrao Shastri
This is an image of the Bengali version of the poem, written in Tagore’s own hand –
Interpretation:
SONG OFFERINGS is a volume of poems written by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore which have been translated into English by the poet himself from his own Bengali works. Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 1913 for this collection.
The poem, THOU HAST MADE ME ENDLESS, is the first poem of the book and is the English version or transcreation of the Bengali song AMARE TUMI ASHESH KORECHHO written and composed by Tagore himself.
The magic of Tagore’s poems lies in the myriad ways they can be interpreted by the reader. They are rich with philosophy and steeped in spirituality. In the present times when a lot of beliefs have been broken down by technology and the ever expanding ambit of science, I personally like to read Gurudev’s works from a spiritual point-of-view as opposed to a religious one.
So, although the poet himself, with his inclination towards the Brahmo Samaj theology and deep influence of Buddhism combined with a tolerant view of Hinduism, may have been writing an ode to the one omnipresent, omniscient almighty, his poetic offering may well be construed as being made to a person or to Nature herself. This entity in whatever form it might take and to who the poet is speaking through his poem seems to have provided him with a sense of eternity and timelessness, because after all, that is what life truly is: it ends, but then it does not. Life goes on – if not physically, then certainly in spirit. When frail mortal beings die, they live on as memories and that is what makes every life eternal – as if it empties one vessel only to fill another.
In this poem, rich with metaphors, Tagore also compares the being to a flute which in physicality may only be a perforated reed, but when Life blows trough it, an ageless melody emanates from it. Life with its ups and downs resembles hills and valleys across which this melody reverberates. Touched by the entity, the poet is transported into a state of ecstasy. In his quest to understand his existence, he gets more than he asked for – because the bounty of Life is inexhaustible to the one who understands the true purpose of existence. This makes the poet comprehend the cycle of life, where the spirit of humanity fills and empties mortal vessels for eternity in an infinite loop of immortality, blurring the lines between the past, the present and the future.
