Birth And Death by Tagore Translation by Ranu
Birth And Death Rabindranath Tagore
It was only the other day I came to this world I was an infant devoid of speech
I came like a foreigner to this earth
without any identity, I did not bring anything with me,
Rabindranath Tagore (Photo credit: Cea.)
only provision I had with me was sobbing.
Today all the love I received from my fellow human beings
has managed to draw out all the songs I have in my heart,
On this earth O my creator you have taken very little space in my heart!
Instead you have fulfilled the wishes of the people with my songs.
Every day you assist me to present songs of rhythm and melody
still I offer you my worship at the end of the prayer
I hope you will take me with love,
I am hopeful that you will remember when we part.
wherever you keep me on this earth your love will remain with me.
There will be brand new foreign residence new people
they will connect with me with similar love. In the light of this love
I will appear in the world
and blossom in the new company. Attracted by love
all the mysterious glitter I have in me
will rise up in eternal juice,
they will come out running___ free from life
in the entire world of yours on the invitation of love
I will leave the perfume of new lives,
I will draw the shape of faces with new colours.
who wants to be in this blind narrow hole of immortality
on this surface of the earth only in one form
to live! In the new paths of death
I will worship you in different worlds.
Sabethville 
What a gem, and the lines that I have highlighted below are simply delightful and blissful.
“On this earth O my creator you have taken very little space in my heart!
Instead you have fulfilled the wishes of the people with my songs.
wherever you keep me on this earth your love will remain with me.
who wants to be in this blind narrow hole of immortality
on this surface of the earth only in one form
to live! In the new paths of death
I will worship you in different worlds.”
Beautiful translation, just loved it 🙂
Thank you Akhtar Bhai, I always value your comments.
Regards,
Chaman
Dear Ranu,
Thank you very much for this poem. What a lovely, meditative piece on birth, living, dying, and returning.
All good wishes,
robert
Thank you Robert.
Best wishes,
Ranu
I felt just as AWD Sahib in the lines that reached out to my heart…& like, perhaps, Hafiz, he maybe had a premonition that his poetry would continue to be gifts from the Divine, to keep us company all over the world in different time?
I only wish to understand the last line a little better if anyone can help…but if not, I will try to reflect on this more soon. And I’d love a little note of background about the history & meaning (perhaps for peace processes?) that Tagore wrote national songs for India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka…
What an outstanding Tagore poem…
I have been translating a lot of his poems.I will go back and read the last line. I will explain what it means.
Thanks again.