Gitanjali
Encyclopedia
Gitanjali is a collection of 103 English poems, largely translations, of the Bengali
poet Rabindranath Tagore
.
This volume became very famous in the West, and was widely translated.
Gitanjali (গীতাঞ্জলি Gitanjoli) is also the title of an earlier Bengali volume (1910) of 157 mostly devotional songs. The word gitanjoli is composed from "git", song, and "anjoli", offering, and thus means - "An offering of songs"; but the word for offering, anjoli, has a strong devotional connotation, so the title may also be interpreted as "prayer offering of song".
The English collection is not a translation of poems from the Bengali volume
of the same name. While half the poems (52 out of 103) in the English text were selected from the Bengali volume, others were taken from these works (given with year and
number of songs selected for the English text): Gitimallo (1914,17), Noibeddo (1901,15), Khea (1906,11) and a handful from other works. The translations were often radical, leaving out
or altering large chunks of the poem and
in one instance even fusing two separate poems (song 95, which unifies
songs 89,90 of naivedya).
The translations were undertaken prior to a visit to England in 1912, where the poems were extremely well received. A slender volume was published in 1913, with an exhilarating preface by W. B. Yeats
. In the same year, based on a corpus of three thin translations, Tagore became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize, specifically the Nobel Prize for Literature.
or Jayadeva
). Rabindranath Tagore encountered it also in his interactions with the Baul
community in rural Bengal. For example, poem 7 in the English volume renders
poem 125 from the Bengali Gitanjali, Amar e gan chheŗechhe tar shôkol ôlongkar and talks of heavenly love in terms of the lover taking off her jewelry,
which is getting in the way of the union. See also the poem 18, at the bottom of this page.
Some poems involve themes related to nature, but here, too, the spiritual is subtly present, as in this poem (no. 57), given here along with the Bangla text in Roman script:
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
poet Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
.
This volume became very famous in the West, and was widely translated.
Gitanjali (গীতাঞ্জলি Gitanjoli) is also the title of an earlier Bengali volume (1910) of 157 mostly devotional songs. The word gitanjoli is composed from "git", song, and "anjoli", offering, and thus means - "An offering of songs"; but the word for offering, anjoli, has a strong devotional connotation, so the title may also be interpreted as "prayer offering of song".
The English collection is not a translation of poems from the Bengali volume
of the same name. While half the poems (52 out of 103) in the English text were selected from the Bengali volume, others were taken from these works (given with year and
number of songs selected for the English text): Gitimallo (1914,17), Noibeddo (1901,15), Khea (1906,11) and a handful from other works. The translations were often radical, leaving out
or altering large chunks of the poem and
in one instance even fusing two separate poems (song 95, which unifies
songs 89,90 of naivedya).
The translations were undertaken prior to a visit to England in 1912, where the poems were extremely well received. A slender volume was published in 1913, with an exhilarating preface by W. B. Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
. In the same year, based on a corpus of three thin translations, Tagore became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize, specifically the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Poetry
The poems of Gitanjali express a largely metaphysical outlook, talking about a union with the "supreme"; but like much western poetry that explores similar themes, the language suggests the union of two earthly lovers. This type of anthropomorphic depiction of celestial love is quite common in the Vaishnava literature of India since the 12th century (see VidyapatiVidyapati
Vidyapati Thakur , also known by the sobriquet Maithil Kavi Kokil was a Maithili poet and a Sanskrit writer. He was born in the village of Bishphi in Madhubani district of Bihar state, India. He was son of Ganapati...
or Jayadeva
Jayadeva
Jayadeva was a Sanskrit poet circa 1200 AD. He is most known for his composition, the epic poem Gita Govinda, which depicts the divine love of Krishna-an avatar of Vishnu and his consort, Radha, and it is mentioned that Radha is greater than Hari, and is considered an important text in the...
). Rabindranath Tagore encountered it also in his interactions with the Baul
Baul
Baul .Though Bauls comprise only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.-Etymology:The origin of the word...
community in rural Bengal. For example, poem 7 in the English volume renders
poem 125 from the Bengali Gitanjali, Amar e gan chheŗechhe tar shôkol ôlongkar and talks of heavenly love in terms of the lover taking off her jewelry,
which is getting in the way of the union. See also the poem 18, at the bottom of this page.
Some poems involve themes related to nature, but here, too, the spiritual is subtly present, as in this poem (no. 57), given here along with the Bangla text in Roman script:
Light, my light, the world-filling light, the eye-kissing light, heart-sweetening light!
Ah, the light dances, my darling, at the centre of my life; the light strikes, my darling, the chords of my love; the sky opens, the wind runs wild, laughter passes over the earth.
The butterflies spread their sails on the sea of light. Lilies and jasmines surge up on the crest of the waves of light.
The light is shattered into gold on every cloud, my darling, and it scatters gems in profusion.
Mirth spreads from leaf to leaf, my darling, and gladness without measure. The heaven's river has drowned its banks and the flood of joy is abroad.
আলো আমার আলো ওগো, আলো ভূবন ভরা
আলো নয়ন ধোওয়া আমার আলো হৃদয় হরা ।
নাচে আলো নাচে ও ভাই, আমার প্রাণের কাছে -
বাজে আলো বাজে ও ভাই, হৃদয়বীণার মাঝে
জাগে আকাশ, ছোটে বাতাস, হাসে সকল ধরা ।
আলোর স্রোতে পাল তুলেছে হাজার প্রজাপতি
আলোর ঢেউয়ে উঠল মেতে মল্লিকা মালতী ।
মেঘে মেঘে সোনা, ও ভাই যায়না মানিক গোনা -
পাতায় পাতায় হাসি ও ভাই, পুলক রাশি রাশি ।
সুরনদীর কূল ডুবেছে সুধা-নিঝর-ঝরা।
- অচলায়তন
Alo amar, alo ogo, alo bhubon bhora
alo noyon dhoa amar, alo hridoe hara.
Nache alo nache, o bhai, amar praner kachhe --
baje alo baje, o bhai, hridoe binar majhe --
jage akash, chhoţe batash, hashe shokol dhora.
Alor srote pal tulechhe hajar projapoti.
Alor đheue uţhlo mete mollika maloti.
Meghe meghe shona, o bhai, jae na manik gona --
patae patae hashi, o bhai, pulok rashi rashi.
Shuronodir kul ḍubechhe shudha-nijhor-jhora.
-Ocholaeoton
Legacy
In the English-speaking world, the writings of Tagore are no longer widely read. Nonetheless, for millions of Bangla speakers, the Bengali originals continue to resonate, as in this verse:
I stand mesmerized,
wondering how you sing hjhj
your notes hold the world spellbound -
the light of your music
lights up my universe.
(song 22 of Bengali Gitanjali, song 3 in the English)
See also
- Bengali literatureBengali literatureBengali literature is literary works written in Bengali language particularly from Bangladesh and the Indian provinces of West Bengal and Tripura. The history of Bengali literature traces back hundreds of years while it is impossible to separate the literary trends of the two Bengals during the...
- Bengali poetryBengali poetryBengali poetry is a form that originated in Pāli and other Prakrit socio-cultural traditions. It is antagonistic towards Vedic rituals and laws as opposed to the shramanic traditions such as Buddhism and Jainism...
- Indian literatureIndian literatureIndian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Republic of India has 22 officially recognized languages....
- Chitto Jetha BhayshunyoChitto jetha bhayshunyoChitto jetha bhayashunyo is among one of the most quoted poems in India and Bangladesh.Written by Rabindranath Tagore before India's independence, it represents Tagore's dream of how the new, awakened India should be...
(Where the mind is without fear) - Kazi Nazrul IslamKazi Nazrul IslamKazi Nazrul Islam , sobriquet Bidrohi Kobi, was a Bengali poet, musician and revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi...
- Bonnie Prince Billy, whose album Get on Jolly features adaptations of some poems
External links
- gitanjali in Hindi
- http://www.scribd.com/doc/56988813/%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BF-%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%87-44-%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E2%80%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%80-%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A6-%E0%A4%94%E0%A4%B0-11-%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80-%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E2%80%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%B0-%E0%A4%A1%E0%A5%89-%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E2%80%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0-%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0-%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B6know about 44 Hindi translations of Gitanjali]
- Gitanjali (Song Offerings)
- Gitanjali Eldritch Press version, with illustrations
- Gitanjali, University of Virginia
- Gitanjali Book Covers in Different Languages