Rabindranath Tagore’s Lyrical Ballad on Freedom and Confinement [Here is a recent performance of this ballad by Lopamudra Mitra and Iman from YouTube: The caged bird was in the gilded cage, the free bird in the wood Perchance, once, the twain met each other, perhaps a quirk in the Maker’s mood. Said the free bird, “Caged bird, dear, come to[Read More...]
Banojyotsna Lahiri shared her translation of some excerpts from a poem by Rabindranath Tagore, written 120 years ago, titled “Deeno Daan”. It is about a temple. Original Bangla below the translation. “There is no god in that temple”, said the Saint. The King was enraged; “No God? Oh Saint, aren’t you speaking like an atheist? … Continue reading “There is no god in that temple”: Rabindranath Tagore/Translated by Banojyotsna Lahiri →
[While Tagore wrote extensively on philosophical exchanges between significant characters from India’s great epics, such as the Karna-KuntiSamvad, the vast compendium of his poetry is essentially reflective and non-historic. He did, however, write a few tribute poems dedicated to heroic figures from India’s medieval years, including the Sikh hero, Banda Singh Bahadur, and the Maratha chief, ChhatrapatiShivaji. In this sequence,[Read More...]
That the living experience is akin to a joyous festival with multiple stimuli is made clear literally stanza by stanza in this poem, and requires little elaboration or exposition.
[From Deen Daan] by Rabindranath Tagore Thus offered the royal servant- “Your Highness, despite much pleading Narottama, the greatest of the Sadhus, Shunning the opulent shelter of your golden temple Is engaged upon the sacred devotions of sankirtana Under the shade of a tree by the roadside. Scores of devotees swarm the holy man Tears of uncontrollable bliss overflow[Read More...]
A lane, a narrow passage to Jallianwala Bagh Garden inside the old city of Amritsar, in the state of Punjab. It is a monument now, one of the testaments to madness and crimes committed by the British Empire during its colonial reign over Sub-Continent.
This is where, on April 13 1919, thousands of people gathered, demanding release of two of their detained leaders, Dr. Satyapal and Dr. Saifuddin. It was right before the day of Baisakhi, the main Sikh festival, and the pilgrims came to the city, in multitudes, from all corners of Punjab.
