Let it end your last song

তবে শেষ করে দাও শেষ গান
tobe shesh kore dao shesh gaan

Let it end your last song
Let me be on my way
Forget this night you may
Once it breaks into dawn

Who can I bind in my embrace
Can dreams ever be bound?
Only an ache remains
Tears flow unabated

A paper boat I float

পাতার ভেলা ভাসাই নীরে
patar bhela bhashai neerey

A paper boat I float
To look back I care not
Let it be, heap of chores
To move on is my game

A place I have not laid
A home I have not made
On still banks of the flow

When fetters do find me
My destiny it smiles

Dust riffling winds beckon
Pulling me to the road
At every new turn on the way
I gift my songs to earth

In search of joy.. they look for love..

এরা সুখের লাগি চাহে প্রেম
(era sukher lagi chahe prem)

In search of joy.. they look for love..
Love.. they find not, and lost.. is joy..
Such is false.. play.. of illusion..
They forget.. what they lose..
To acquire what they want..
Thus night.. goes by in tears..
Thus it is scalded.. life..
Thus ego.. hurt.. and pride..
Thus laments.. of despair..

When in love.. dissolve joy.. and woe,
Then.. it is.. they find happiness..

Night.. hastens, with fade dreams..
Moon.. unravels the spell.. of sleep..
Comes to an end this love.. story..
Some smile.. some sigh, through tears..

Ensnared are two in a love-trap

প্রেমপাশে ধরা পড়েছে দুজনে
premo paashe dhora porechhey dujoney

Ensnared are two in a love-trap
Afloat on a wave of amour
Two flowers fall and drift off

A night illumined by the moon
A soft caress of scented breeze
In a trance half-asleep half-awake
With the dulcet song of cuckoo
Locked their gazes for a moment
And Cupid found his mark
With his calamitous arrow

We weave a web of illusion

মোরা জলে স্থলে কত ছলে
mora jawley sthawley

We weave a web of illusion
On land and seas with deception
Dreams for sleepy eyes we design
Steal our way into hearts with spells
Spring breeze we make it swing
To intoxicating ripples

Abuzz are rows of Bakul flowers
Awakened by a swarm of bees
In half formed tunes
With a few broken words
They arouse doubt and foreboding

We weave a web of illusion
Men and women we entangle
Ensnare their hearts in fantasy
They fumble their way through blunders
With many a smile, much tears

We cast a dark shadow
On the meeting of two lovers
We inflame pride and hurt
Estranged, they find true love in dreams
We weave a web of illusion

Welcome spring, welcome to earth

এস' এস' বসন্ত, ধরাতলে
esho esho boshonto dhoratole

Welcome spring, welcome to earth
With cooings of new tunes, new songs, new life
In a breeze languid with heady fragrance
Infuse in each soul a consciousness deep

Bring waves of new delights
Joyful rhythms to rock the earth
All bondages shake free
Imbue new feelings of passion

Come in trembling rustles, humming murmurs
Come in dusky foliage, thrill of new leaves
Come in Malati bowers bursting with blooms
Come in comforting shades, redolent breeze

Come O eternal wayfarer
Seeking the road to paradise
Ever eager, ever curious
Step into hearts throbbing with joy
Breathe in new life with each new song

Welcome to the lap of a sun kissed dawn
Blushing a deep shade of crimson
Welcome to mesmerising moonlit nights
To the banks of babbling brooklets
To the calm of languorous lakes

Come like a flash of lightening
Thundering down like a storm
Rippling in waves over seas

Come to the dawn
Astir in wakefulness
To bustling towns
The woods and wilderness
Step into hearts
In words and in action

Come in soft steps tinkled by anklet bells
Come in warbles lilting with melody
Come in garlands of lovely Jasmine flowers
Come in raiment of tender verdant leaves
Come with the eager force of graceful youth
Come valorous one with fiery new pride

Indomitable one, embark on victory spree
In the battle to decimate the decrepit
Spreading far and wide pollen of new life
Restless locks of hair fluttering in air

I left my lamp.. unlit in the dark..

আমার জ্বলেনি আলো অন্ধকারে
AMAR JWALENI ALO

I left my lamp.. unlit in the dark..
Is that why.. repeatedly..
You refuse to answer my passionate.. call..

Your flute trills.. in my heart..
In my sizzling hurt.. my supreme bliss..
Yet.. for the one.. who is lost..
The tears.. you let them fall.. so willfully..

I look at the sky.. and a dream blossoms..
I wonder what I still.. desire..
Hope fires.. and flickers.. now and then..
Meaninglessly.. as if my aching heart..
Would tug you.. would make you come to me..


(another version by Rumela Sengupta:)

I left my lamp unlit in the dark

Is that why you did not respond time after time

Your flute plays in my heart

In trying sorrow, in deepest bliss

The one who knows not the path

You let him unbosom his tears

I gaze at the dark sky of night

What does my heart want?

Only my heart knows

Now and then in my heart

Why does hope glimmer for no reason

As if my pain will draw you to my door

Pristine clouds carry a melody

আজ নবীন মেঘের সুর লেগেছে আমার মনে
Aj nobeen megher shur legechhe amar mone

Pristine clouds carry a melody
That now resonate in my mind.
My distracted thoughts stray irrationally.
How do they call out to me
And make me wander from home,
Overclouding my eyes ever so often?
In the rhythms of incessant rains,
Which pathways do they lead to?--
It is a road that has drifted toward the unknown,
In the the land of imagination, beyond melodies,
To the gardens of the pining lover's heart.

My love, you will steal my heart

আমার মন তুমি নাথ লবে হ'রে
Amar mono tumi nath lobe hore (audio)

My love, you will steal my heart,
I live forever with such desire.

Stars float in the bluest high
The moon smiles in a silent sky,
my eyes drown and drown in tears,
I live forever with such desire.

On land, oceans, on the earth,
in trees, climbers, fruits and buds
through the love of women, men
in tides, torrents, now and then

through many songs, and many dance,
and many views, you will steal my heart.
I live forever with such desire.

(another version by Rumela)

My heart O Lord, you will ensnare
I sit and wait holding on to that hope

The stars sparkle in the deep blue sky
The moon smiles in the silent night
My eyes well up with tears
I hold on to my hope

In the soil of your earth
In the swell of your seas
In your flowers and bowers
In the loving ties of tenderness
That bind all men and women
In many a melody and rhythm
Across space and time
You will gather me up in many a way
I hold on to that hope

In twilight-moment of a drizzling sky

আজি গোধূলিলগনে এই বাদলগগনে
Aji godhuli logone ei badolo gogone
(Audio: Suchitra Mitra)

In twilight-moment of a drizzling sky
I watch his footsteps in my heart
And my mind whispers, 'He will come!'
With senseless rapture tears surge
Welling up my eyes with urge
Does his raiment in restive winds
Offer a touch of the distant far?
My heart, fragrant with tuberose,
Whispers often, 'He will come!'
The Maaloti* flower's absent soul,
Wishes to fully speak her mind
The horizon startled with painful glee
Her windy raiment flying free
And my heart whispers, 'He will come!'


Maaloti* - a big, woody climber which bears masses of fragrant, white, jasmine like flowers.

Sweet spring comes to sweetly unite

মধুর বসন্ত এসেছে মধুর মিলন ঘটাতে
modhuro boshonto eshechhey

Sweet spring comes to sweetly unite
To spread the news of sweet union
In soft southern breeze

With a fleeting touch of magic
It nudges buds to bloom
In many a hue and colour
A love story it weaves

Behold the earth so primeval
Decked up in dusky foliage
As if to curb the reign of time
Gushes forth the spring of youth

Slays the pain of absence long gone
Heralds hope of a union new
Fresh spring comes to inspire fresh love

Where hidden lies your heart

ওগো সখী, দেখি, দেখি মন কোথা আছে
ogo shokhi dekhi dekhi mon kotha aachhey

Where hidden lies your heart
Let me see, fair maiden
Many a heart stricken
Around you do hover
Is there one worth your gaze

What charm, what nectar, what fragrance
What beauty have you kept hidden
Which morn, with the dawn of which sun
Will you offer it all to whom

If he comes not in this lifetime
To this Eden if he finds not a way
What if at end of spring
Return the ones who did come
Hearts heavy with disappointment

Where did she go dear friend

সখী, সে গেল কোথায়
shokhi shey gelo kothay

Where did she go dear friend
Do beckon her here
Stand around her we will
Beneath the treeshades

Amidst floral bowers
In this pleasant twilight
Watch her smile we will
Prancing around in joy

Stars have dotted the skies
Southern winds have rushed in
Sings out a bird in sleepy haze

Come O joyous maiden
Bringing with you sweet spring
Let the treeshades revel
In your charm and beauty

Who calls! I never look back

কে ডাকে। আমি কভু ফিরে নাহি চাই
ke daakey ami kobhu phirey nahi chai

Who calls! I never look back
Many a flower blossoms
Many a flower withers
I simply drift along

I leave a touch of thrill
I never get entrapped

Flits past floral fragrance
A sigh in vines and leaves
Echoes a sad lament
From forest to forest
I hear but for a trice
I go on, I never look back

Why this deception, ask him friend

ওকে বল্, সখী বল্-- কেন মিছে করে ছল
okey bol shokhi bol keno michhe kore chhol

Why this deception, ask him friend
Why fake a smile, shed a tear false
I know not surging flow of love
Therefore it is I have this fear
Who knows where hides nectar divine
And where lurks a lethal poison

To cry they know not
To make one cry plot
Futile it is
To hear these words
A mere play with hearts
Just a game of love
Let’s return this hour
Let’s go, friends, let’s go

Flits the bee going to and fro

অলি বার বার ফিরে যায়
oli baar baar phirey jaay

Flits the bee going to and fro
Goes to return time and again
Only then does a flower blossom

The bud longs to bloom, yet cannot
Curled up in bashfulness and fright

Forego your pride
Forget your fear of rejection
Forfeit your heart and soul
Stay with her night and day

Forsaking hope yet keep some hope
In hope to win the gem of heart

Come back, come back
The forest is fragrant with flowers
This long night of separation
Glides by on dewdrops and blossoms

Love is no game my friend

এ তো খেলা নয়
eto khela noy

This is no game, my friend
A soul searing blaze it is
An anxious agitation
An ache of secret feelings
That permeates my being
To offer my life my death
At the feet of one unknown

Who calls me unceasing
Filling me with fervour
The heart says “I’m coming”
But venture I cannot
The words I want to say
I fear I should not say
Where can I lay it down
My salver of love

With tender care I thread it
Offer I cannot the garland

Rain of my dark night, show up unseen

আমার নিশীথরাতের বাদল ধারা
Amar nishitho raatero badolo dhara (audio)

Rain of my dark night, show up unseen
like mesmerizing downpour, in the shore of my dreams.
Shine in the black like a pearl, shade my senses and breath
from the sun and the stars, alike.
And as the world slumbers, rob, 
rob me of my rest.
Mysteriously penetrate my solitary room, utterly music,
come in,
come in to my tears.

Who steps across the sky

আকাশে আজ কোন্‌ চরণের আসা-যাওয়া
Akashe aj kon choroner asha-jawa

Who steps across the sky,
In the air whose touch do I feel?
A long-lost message of farewell plays out
In the melodies of the flute of someone distraught.
Beneath the shadows of the forest
Strays a pair of youthful, tender eyes.
The flowers that blossomed long ago in spring
Sob in bees' humming wings.
Beneath Bokul* trees, on lazy afternoons,
Those missives that I had set afloat in winged melodies,
Return to me filled with tearfulness.

*Bokul - a tree of Bengal, with small star-shaped white flowers with a light and pleasant fragrance.

Why cannot I bare my soul to her

তারে দেখাতে পারি নে কেন প্রাণ
taarey dekhatey pariney keno praan

Why cannot I bare my soul to her
Make known, why cannot I, my heartache
How she smiles and saunters away
Sparing not even a glance
How she scorns such desire, such love

None can see the aching love
Hidden deep within my heart
If this love were a blossom
I’d tear it from my being
And offer it at her feet
Pick it up she would not
Droop it would from want of love
Yet, diminish would her doubt

Today I wish to whisper in your ears

আজি তোমায় আবার চাই শুনাবারে
 Aji tomay abar chai shunabare
(Audio: Debabrata Biswas)

Today I wish to whisper in your ears
The missives that I have always spoken.
Those that now resonate in my heart
With the endless rain.
Do not ask me why, since they are vague.
My heaped, aching emotions have only found
Waves of expression through my music.
Missives that in my dreams echoed ceaselessly
Will find their way, through my whispers,
In your heart,
Like a musing hum in the dark of the rains.

You shade your heart with your pride

আপনারে দিয়ে রচিলি রে কি এ 
Aponare diye rochili re ki e (audio: Kanika Banerjee)

You shade your heart with your pride, 
you closed your eyes.
Give away and find the land of joy inside.

Freedom is now scarce to find
the sky itself has been confined
the wind fills the lungs with poison.

Push back the screen, 
get rid of the dark,
keep your pride away.
Your life will fill with 
nectar and with grace.

Hold a silence in your flute,
the Master will make his own tune.
Don't beg for charity, and you'll then receive
a life of plenty.

Tell me, is it you

আমায় দাও গো ব'লে
Amay dao go bole (audio)

Tell me,
is it you who makes waves of unease?
Strikes my heart, makes it ripple,
but I can't see.

I can't see who it is, and it scares me.
I am not aware, I need not be uneasy.

I shall wipe my tears and smile now.
The one that cradles, will hold me.

If you come tonight.. to my lonely..

আজি বিজন ঘরে নিশীথরাতে
(aji bijan ghare nishithrate)

If you come tonight..
to my lonely.. room..
with empty hands..
should that worry.. me..
I know my friend..
you are there to feel..

Somehow
the day.. went by.. 
with a deed.. or a cry,
and now.. its time.. 
to show up to you.

Let the sky go blind, 
with darkness.. everywhere,
my heart.. will be full.. 
knowing you are there.

I was reeling in cycles..
and I forgot.. myself.
Now I'd love.. to be drawn 
by life.. and by death.

(another version by Rumela)

If you come.. with an empty hand..
To my solitary room in the mid.. of night..
What do I have to fear..
I know my friend .. I know for sure..
Your loving touch.. will be there for me.

I somehow whiled away my days..
Stumbling.. through the alleys..
Of what I wanted.. what I gained..
Now it is time to bring myself to you.

Let the darkness be as it is..
Blinding, all sense of direction..
Let your loving touch.. linger..
Pervading.. my heart..

Tossed along the waves.. of life..
I was oblivious, to my own self.
Now you will draw me close to you.

Gather me up between life and death.

Whereabout within my own self

আপনি আমার কোন্‌খানে
Apni amar konkhane

Whereabout in my own self
Do I wander in His quest?
In shadow-land, He who travels
In many forms and guises,
Will my awareness of Him ever end
Through tears and laughters, who can tell.
Deep within my songs,
Whose lyrics did I discover?
His abode I have since failed to find.
The day slips past, light turns pale;
What does the flute of the pathways impart
In melodies of the evening-Multan*?

*Multan - an evening raaga, or melody in Indian classical music.

As if from my lost springtimes

অনেক দিনের মনের মানুষ
Awnek diner moner manush

As if from my lost springtimes,
You arrive, my friend.
The remnants that you left behind,
You have came to find in my heart
Retracing your path
Through blossoms familiar.
As if you have hopes you will find a nestle
Here in my soul, built with tears.
As if you have come to see if the lute of my past
Still resonates,
Or whether it is covered with dust.

Keep aside futile words of love

ওলো রেখে দে, সখী, রেখে দে
olo rekhe de shokhi rekhe de

Oh, keep aside, do keep aside
These false and futile words of love
Joyful affliction, throes of affection
Words that I fathom not

Floral bondages, tears of volition
This quest of heart to give itself
Yearning to surrender
To worship another
To place hope at another’s feet

To catch a glimpse, to feel a touch
Ages awake in agony
To see a smile light up a face
Aeons afloat on sea of tears
Bliss of life to find it
Forsake this peace of life

Time goes by in laughter and play

সখী, বহে গেল বেলা, শুধু হাসিখেলা
shokhi boye gelo bela

Time goes by in laughter and play
How much longer can it be so
Anxious thirst for love
Why does it not awaken

When will it be in this lifetime
Engage will eyes with another
Sweetly aflame in sweet despair,
In a love new forevermore

Tears will rise to moisten the eye
Slowly will that stream of sorrow
Wipe away this lively laughter

Restless will become troubled breath
Heartbroken in hope and despair
The glow within will bloom on cheeks
In blushing colours of the dawn sky

Night.. and day.. for whom.. I stay,

দিবস রজনী, আমি যেন কার..
(dibas rajani ami jena)

Night.. and day.. for whom.. I stay,
Agog.. with expectation..
Thus enraptured.. is my heart..
Startled, so my listening..
These eyes.. fervid.. with yearning..

Restlessly.. I roam.. around
Ever hoping for a glimpse --
“Who comes” I look with a start..
At each tweet.. in the forests..

In wakeful hours.. I see not..
I live in hope of dreams--
If I sight in veil of sleep..
Ensnare.. I will in dreams..

One I love so much..
Want with all my heart..
Never do I feel..
With me she.. is not..
As if my deepest desire..
A force passionate..
Draws her.. close.. to me..

(another version by Anandamayee Majumdar)

For whom.. do I keep my hope alight..
Night.. and day, I wonder..
My mind so heedful..
My ears so alert..
My eyes so keen.. with longing..

Restless, I wander..
Hoping to catch the glimpse..
Even when a bird simply whistles.. in the trees..
Startled, 'whoever comes there'', I wonder..

He.. is never there in my wakeful hour..
I await him in my dreams..
As if to secure him.. with reverie..
In the hidden.. canopy of my slumber..

Someone so profoundly I love..
Someone so profusely I desire..
Would he still be far away from me..
Would my impassioned heart..
Not be enough.. to summon.. him..

Your secret, it cannot remain within

গোপন কথাটি রবে না গোপনে
Gopono kawthati robe na gopone

Your secret, it cannot remain within
Emerge it will in your eyes so silent
Oh no, remain it cannot a secret.

With the radiance of a smile
It sings through the flute,
It plays on your lips in solitary dreams --
Oh no, remain it can not a secret.

Bees begin to hum,
Eager to sip light, Ashok* blossoms
Flush with sweet melancholy.

The heart is a shivering lotus 
In the golden, solemn dawn;
Oh no, remain it can not a secret.


*Ashok - the name of a tree with crimson flowers in spring, in Bengal.

From the moonless.. sea.. of darkness..

নিবিড় অমা-তিমির হতে
(nibir ama timir hote)

From the moonless.. sea.. of darkness..
Embarked in full.. tide.. 
The sailing boat.. of a blossoming moon..

The earth.. filled.. with unseen.. flowers..
Arranged her vase.. at celestial.. shores.
With a string.. of light..
Hued.. like the golden-jasmine..

Moments.. turned, at moment's banks..
The boat anchored.. at Dol****,
The earth.. smiled in her dreams.. in silence..

Bringing in a boatload.. of celebration..
Did she finally decide.. to moor..
With the full-moon.. this sleep-pirate..


****Dol / Holi - a spring festival observed in the first full moon of spring.

How do I set a melody to this dark

নিদ্রাহারা রাতের এ গান 
Nidrahara raater e gaan (audio: Subinoy Roy)

How do I set a melody to this dark
So full of music and awareness,
How do I borrow tunes
From the fragrant tuberose!

My ache cries out for a song,
Like a shadow dreaming of sunshine
Drifting endlessly in the wilderness
In quest of a muse

She, who thrilled wild blossoms
In her wake with dewy footfall
She, whose hair shimmered
With a single red oleander

Clinging to a long lost memory,
What invisible bud
Do I now try to discern
As my gaze sweeps the faraway!

No more -- no more

নাই নাই নাই যে বাকি সময় আমার
Nai nai nai je baki shomoy amar

No more -- no more
Is there time;
Wont you fill the last hours of mine?
Who are they that go back and forth,
My tunes lost in their pandemoniums,
I fail to learn my songs.

I have sworn that I'll give myself up
To you in finality,
I'll rest all my quests and lessons,
Awash will be my eyes with your light.

There is thirst in my eyes

চক্ষে আমার তৃষ্ণা 
Chokkhe amar trishna
Audio: Hemanta Mukherjee

There is thirst in my eyes, in my heart
I am a rainless summer's day
seething with heat

Sultry winds have summoned storms
guiding my mind away
to touch the heavenly void
My scarf glides away.

The flower that lit up the garden
has turned black with heat.

Who fetters the mountain-spring
trapped in frozen rocks
at the summit of sorrow?

So be it if you know me not

সেই ভালো সেই ভালো
shei bhalo shei bhalo

So be it if you know me not
I will be pained when you go far
Why make me blush then drawing near

The springtime of my life has burst into song
Pleasant are the verdant shades
Let it remain so, heady with fragrance
The floral bowers awaiting the beloved
I have glimpsed in secret

A kaleidoscope of feelings flit across your eager eyes
Restless your raiment, your tresses undone
In times of tumultous tempest

The words we left unsaid
Endure still within my heart
Ardent with those words unspoken
My flute plays out a tune

Peeping from the nook of my heart

আমার মনের কোণের বাইরে
amar moner koner baire (audio)

Peeping from the nook of my heart
Throwing open it’s casement
I look out time and again

In a plaintive melody
Wafting from which beyond
Whose presence is it I sense
A moment ago I felt it
Now it is no more

My eyes wander far and wide
In search of which evening star

Whose shadow brushes me so
Ripples a thrill through my heart
And I hum softly within

Err did I, have seen my error

ভুল করেছিনু ভুল ভেঙেছে
bhul korechhinu bhul bhengechhe

Err did I, have seen my error
Now awake, I am awakened
Now I will err no more, no more

I ran after an illusion
Realised it to be a dream, all false
My heart has been pricked by thorns
This is no flower, no it is not

I won't scorn the love I get
I won't play with hearts
I seek shelter in your love-filled heart
This worldly life is an unplumbed ocean
It is not the shore, no it is not

With love my friend do etch my name

ভালোবেসে সখী নিভৃতে যতনে
bhalobeshe shokhi nibhrite jotone (audio)

With love and gentle care my friend
Do etch my name
In secluded shrine of your heart

The song that plays in my heart
Do learn it’s beat
In tinkle of your anklet bells

Caress with tender affection
My bird of song
In the garden of your palace

Do remember my dearest friend
To tie a thread
With my name on your bright bangles

Unmindfully from my blossoms
Do pluck a bud
To wreathe into your long tresses

A vermillion dot in my name
Do let it adorn your forehead
Encircled with scent of sandal

Sweet delight of my bewitched heart
Let it mingle
With the fragrance of your being

This my ardent life and death
Do plunder it
With your glory that is peerless

I so do love, yes, love do I

ভালোবাসি, ভালোবাসি
bhalobashi bhalobashi

I so do love, yes, love do I
This tune that plays afar and near
The flute that rings on land and seas

Whose heart is it amidst azures
Singing in deep melancholy
Whose dusky eyes awash with tears
Brimming over in the distance

In that melody sad and sweet
Rise endless wails in rolling waves
Breaking free on sea shores

In that melody sad and sweet
Resonates the heart for no reason
Lyrics old of songs forgotten
Tears and smiles of forgotten days

It is spring-tide. The earth trembles

বসন্তে আজ ধরার চিত্ত হল উতলা
Boshonte aj dhorar chitto holo utola (audio link)

It is spring-tide.
The earth trembles with yearning,
Her soul, like a baby in a cradle.

Joyous images quiver in the horizon,
Melody, like a playful little girl, swings, back and forth.
The blue sky heaves with bliss.

My eyes, sleepless with bemusement
Makes me wonder
Of someone that heaves in my heart.

He has sparked my hidden smiles,
He has put my joy up on a delightful swing.
He has cradled my deepest tears of a life time.

Invite your muse this spring

বসন্তে-বসন্তে তোমার কবিরে দাও ডাক
Boshonte boshonte tomar kobire daao daak (audio link)

Invite your muse this spring
and the next
but let her free to leave

Her missive shall remain
Like a lilting tune

She will be back when you desire 
Her heart will crack open with a song
in your garden-bed
Her pulse will beat in the cadence 
of boughs

Hold her tunes in your lute
Let her tears find their way 
with the humming bees.

Whose missive does the full moon

ফাগুনের পূর্ণিমা এল কার লিপি হাতে
Phagoonero poornima elo kaar lipi haate

Whose missive does the full moon
Bring tonight in Phalgoon*?
The message I can not fathom 
A pain fills my heart.
In Nature's first sunrise over the hills,
In which shores of Life unknown,
Did this message emerge?
In sublime sweetness of meeting nights.
Blossoms of the Madhobi** ever so often
Bring remembrances of celebrations
Of lovers' union, in nights lost beyond memory.
What magic spreads in the breeze like a dream?
Shadows shudder in the bamboo forests
With approaching footsteps invisible.

*Phalgoon - the first month of spring in Bengal.
**Madhobi - a sweet smelling spring blossom of Bengal.

Why this fear even in triumph

জয় করে তবু ভয় কেন তোর যায় না
joy kore tobu bhoy keno tor jayna

O love so timorous
Why this fear even in triumph
Why the lack of faith
In shining ray of hope
Why the glint of tears
Though smiling be the face

If doused are flames of estrangement
Rained has sweet nectar of union
Why is there yet a secret ache
A pain within for no reason

The illusion shattered it is
Yet is alive the root of pride

That which was sought, found it has been
That to be known, fathomed it is
Lingers yet a shadow of doubt
Hide secrets of heart in silence within

My thoughts stray on lost pathways

পূর্ণচাঁদের মায়ায় আজি ভাবনা আমার পথ ভোলে
Poorno chaander mayay aji bhabna amar pawth bhole

My thoughts stray on lost pathways
Tonight in magical webs of a full moon
Like river birds they fly, fly, fly away.
In melodies of shadow and light
Lost memories call them back,
Come away, come away, return!
Traveling through lost Phalgoon* twilights
They keep looking for their friend,
But a pain beyond time cries out
Trembling in light and shadow, 
Alas, alas, alas!

*Phalgoon - the first month of spring in Bengal.

You had come in the morn

সুন্দর তুমি এসেছিলে আজ প্রাতে
shundor tumi eshechhiley aaj praatey

You had come in the morn
O Gracious one
A Parijat flower in your hands
Petals hued crimson as the sun

Slumbered the land in a deep sleep
Not a wayfarer on the road
Alone you came and went
In your chariot made of gold
You did halt for a moment
Your eyes full of compassion
To gaze upon my casement
You had come in the morn
O Gracious one

A fragrance did perfume my dreams
A thrill did run through the darkness
Silent my Veena that lay in the dust
It sang out unplucked to a touch unseen

Many a time I thought I should
Shake off my languor and rush out
By the time I did you were gone
Meet you I could not anymore
You had come in the morn
O Gracious one

*Parijat : a mythical heavenly flower that never fades
* Veena : a stringed instrument

Do take me unto you my Lord

তুমি এবার আমায় লহো হে নাথ
tumi ebar amay loho hey nath

Do take me unto you my Lord
Pray, do not turn away this time
Stay on, occupying my heart

The days I've passed in your absence
I wish not to look back at them
Let them sink into oblivion

Unfurling my life in your light
May I now be ever awake

In which stupor of words galore
Roved have I from pillar to post
Whisper now into my heart
Your own words in your voice

Many vices much evasion still lurk
Within the recesses of my heart
Do not spurn me for that Oh Lord
Set them ablaze in fire

- 11th April 1910

Forgive I could not

ক্ষমিতে পারিলাম না যে
khomite parilam na
(audio)

Forgive I could not
Do forgive this failing of mine
You who are Oh Lord
The refuge of the penitent

Shamed to death it is
This hapless love of mine
Ashamed of its weakness
Do forgive this failing of mine
You who are Oh Lord
The refuge of the penitent

Embrace her I could not
It is love that I have spurned
To punish the sinner
It is only sin I have summoned

The wretched one who lies
Weighed by sin at your feet
I know forgive her you will
Forgive you will not
My failing to forgive

Why could love not accept it all

সব কিছু কেন নিল না
shob kichhu keno nilona

Why could love not accept it all
Both the good and the bad
Why couldn’t it resolve in itself
All doubts all dilemnas

Muddy streams carried by rivers
Lost they are in bosom of seas

The luminance of forgiveness
It is but the halo divine
Around the joy and bliss of love
Embracing both good and the bad

Hold your silence dear friend

নীরবে থাকিস সখী
nirobey thakish shokhi

Hold your silence dear friend
Your love-rose has it’s thorns
Keep them pinned to your heart

Sweet nectar you offered
To your beloved one
His thirst quenched it is not
Would it be fair right now
To pour in it poison

The guilt that torments you
Searing you deep within
Why let it blaze out

Bound are two strangers

কোন্ বাঁধনের গ্রন্থি
kon bandhoner gronthi

Bound are two strangers in which knot
In a darkness so filled with doubts
Drifting in aimless winds
Rolling in rippling waves
Sails the boat that united them
To which shores of separation

You who reside away from home

হায় হায় রে হায় পরবাসী
haay haay re porobashi

You who reside away from home
Roam distant lands far from your kin
To which unseen shores do you drift

Lured by a destiny unknown
Do you not hear the dirge of doom
Wafting on winds in far azures
One there is who fashions a noose
Hard of heart merciless he is

Behind the clouds so picturesque
Lurks a thunderclap terrible
Silent chuckle of providence
Mocks your hope of impunity

Tides of love will sweep us away

প্রেমের জোয়ারে ভাসাবে দোঁহারে
premer jowarey bhashabe dohare

Tides of love will sweep us away
The two of us afloat on waves
Lift the anchor, untie the boat
Leaving behind cares and worries
Unfurl the sails, let us cast off
Waves billow in the gusty winds
Sways the heart rolling and rippling
Oarsman! Throw caution to the winds
Care not which direction we take
Unfurl the sails, let us cast off

My heart remembers this frangrance

মন যে বলে চিনি চিনি 
Mon je bole chini chini

My heart remembers this fragrance
Wafting in the wind,
Who can claim it as alien to me?
The Chameli* , I trust, of high spring.

It has left missives in my pulse,
Drifting in and out of my dreams
Through pathways of the wind,
Arbors and lilting streams.

Far away from home
Her missive, like a flute, 
Finds its way into my heart,
A bird rises and sings of my bygone memories.
Music flows like tears of Bhairavi**
From my soul.

*Chameli - a spring time blossom of Bengal.
**Bhairavi - a raaga or melody, associated with the dawn, in Indian music.

Ever indebted is love

জেনো প্রেম চিরঋণী আপনারি হরষে
jeno prem chiro reeni

My dearest do know
Ever indebted is love
Obliged to it’s own thrill of joy
In forgiveness of all faults
It repays all that it owes
All disgrace erased in it
Blemishes all disappear
Sprinkled with it’s sweet nectar

My cup of joy brims over

আমার জীবনপাত্র উচ্ছলিয়া মাধুরী করেছ দান
amar jibono patro uchholiya (audio)

My cup of joy brims over
With the sweetness you bestow
You know not what it is worth

Like the tuberose unseen by eyes
Scents the night with sweet dreams
You fill my life with your song

Time has come to say farewell
Do lift your radiant face
Offer at your feet I will
A life fulfilled in sweet death
One whom you never did know
Silent night of his secret pain
May it now come to an end.

Eludes my grasp

ধরা সে যে দেয় নাই, দেয় নাই

dhora shey jey dey nai

Eludes my grasp, stays out of reach
One I wish to give myself to
Where is he in which secret nook
Screened amidst the daily trifles

My dream you are, do be fulfilled
My youth let it glow in beauty
Bring with you the cool southern breeze
To kiss the blossoms in forests

Lift this mist of melancholy
Breathe new life into my being
Distressed desires of life so parched
Fumble and flounder in the dark
Hoping to find expression
In pulse of the lost wayward wind
In fragrance of the withered flowers

In precious prime of life

জীবনে পরম লগন কোরো না হেলা
jibone poromo logono koro na hela

Do not trifle with the moments
In precious prime of life
Oh fair maiden so full of pride
Trickle away will hours in vain
This mere play come to end
Cease will all trade of sweet nothings

Stealthily steps in your soulmate
Stands beside you unseen unknown
Smiling he sails away with the tide
Forgoing rare riches
Staking all your sorrow
Do welcome him into your life
Oh fair maiden so full of pride

When depart will spring with its blooms
How will you wreathe a welcome crown
Oh fair maiden so full of pride

In distant breeze will play the flute
In vacant gaze, in streaming tears
Will the long hours go by
Echo will those farewell footsteps
From dawn to dusk into the night
Oh fair maiden so full of pride

Why do you turn away

ফিরে যাও কেন ফিরে ফিরে যাও
phirey jao keno phirey phirey jao

Why do you turn away 
Carrying with you your wishes unfulfilled
Always at a distance
Unknown you remain in a land unseen
Near you come yet not close 
Carrying with you your wishes unfulfilled

Fathom you I cannot
Whom and what have you
Found within yourself
That you care not
To seek anything beyond

Unspoken your sorrow
Flickers up in your eyes
In a wordless appeal

None have the time

সময় কারো যে নাই, ওরা চলে দলে দলে
shomoy karo je nai

None have the time
As they go forth in hordes
My song it gets buried
Beneath one such tumult

Many are achievements
They engrave on stones
With much pride and glory
They can spare but a glance
At me and my fiddle
A smile condescending
As they go by in haste

Amidst all of this work
This business of the world
I know for sure you are
Listening to my song
When you churn the darkness
Gathering up the stars
From your wild blue yonder
You hear me in silence

Words drown in overwhelming grief

হায় গো, ব্যথায় কথা যায় ডুবে যায়
haay go byathay kawtha jaay doobe jaay

Words drown in overwhelming grief
In streaming tears I lose my tune

Your ship has sailed into the seas
While I wander from shore to shore
A place for me there was not
On your boat bright and golden
Where oh where in this darkness
Do I now look for the road

Anxiety weighs heavy on my eyes
Gazing on I wait at the door
None can tell me the whereabouts
Of a home where that lantern shines
I sit down in a secluded corner
Across the dark sea of this endless night

The familiar fragrance of a flower

চেনা ফুলের গন্ধস্রোতে
Chena phuler gondho-srote 

The familiar fragrance of a flower
Wafting in Phalgoon* nights
Brings to my heart,
The breath of a soul
Forever unknown.

The soul who in my youth
Met my familiar eyes,
Played with me
In the dance of my tears and smiles.
Whose words have been whispered
To me by my beloved,
Whose music sobs like a flute
In the heart of my yearning.

Her name lies buried  
Among everyday-names.
A soul I found, and yet did not,
Whose fleeting touch I sense
Ever so often.

*Phalgoon - the first month of spring in Bengal.

Why do eyes well up in tears

কেন নয়ন আপনি ভেসে যায় জলে
keno noyon apni bheshe jaay jole

Why do eyes well up in tears
Why so my heart why is it so
As if in a sudden recollection
A remembrance that is remembered not

All around is a sweet silence
Yet why is it my heart cries out
Why so my heart why is it so

As if has stung, words from someone
As if slighted gone away has one
That negligence of mine it rankles so
As if in a sudden recollection
A remembrance that is remembered not

A tide blows from the sea of joy

আনন্দেরই সাগর হতে এসেছে আজ বান
Anonderi shagor hote eshechhe aj baan (audio)

A tide blows from the sea of joy,
time to brace and take the oar.
Row the boat with all our might
row, row and leave the shore.

Our craft is heaped with heavy load
boat of tears, a brutal sea.
Even as we face our death
row, row and leave the shore.

Who is it that pleads we stop
who holds us up with fatal fear?
Seen enough of tragedies
we tasted every shade of tear.

Why would we wish to stop 
at harbors such are safe and tart?
We take off on a forceful sea
with a ready song of our sailing heart.
  

An wakeful Spring is here

আজি  বসন্ত জাগ্রত দ্বারে
Aji boshonto jagroto daare(audio)

A wakeful Spring is here.
Don't let her down with your doubts.
Make your own flowers.
Forget the friend and the foe.
The sky is filled with music
let your fragrance blow
and carry your abundant beauty
to the outside.

A deep pain can be felt
in the leaves of the forest.
Who does the Earth long for
Who does she see in the far sky
and grace herself?

The southern wind touched me.
Whose knock is it waiting for?
The night today is high with fragrance.
Whose footsteps keep her eager?
My loving beauty,
who do you send this profound emotion?

The dark.. is freed of delusion..

নিশার স্বপন ছুটল রে
(nishar swapan chhutla re)

The dark.. is freed of delusion..
it's set free..  set free.. of chains..
The heart.. is free of gloom,
there I come to meet.. to greet..the world..
while a thousand flowers.. blossom..

In the end.. it was you.. 
who broke.. my gates..
There you stood..
my eyes.. brimming.. with teardrops.. 
and I knelt.. at your feet..

The light.. of dawn.. peered.. from the sky..
came out toward me with outstretched arms..
Outside.. my shattered.. prison..
I could hear.. cries.. of victory..

I swim into the seeable sea

রূপসাগরে ডুব দিয়েছি
Rupshagore dub diyechhi
(Tagore's own translation)
 
I swim into the seeable sea
a diver in search of the unseen pearl.

I'll not wander on my broken boat
from one shore to another.
Let this be the end of being tossed around.
I'll drown in bliss and be undying.

There, where music is unheard
I will bring my song
to the boundless band.

I'll tune my lute to eternity.
With flowing tears, it'll sings its last.
With final silence I shall hand it back
to the One who remains forever mute.

When you bid me to sing

তুমি যখন গান গাহিতে বল
tumi jokhon gaan gahite bolo
(Tagore's own translation)

When you bid me to sing
My heart swells in pride
Stunned I gaze at your face
My sight blurs with tears

That which hardens my heart
I wish for it to melt
In songs full of sweetness
My penance and effort
I wish it could take flight
Like a lark in the sky

Happy are you with me
With the song that I sing
And so I dare to approach
To sit in front of you
To reach you I cannot
My song finds a way
I lose myself in it
In melodies many
You who are my master
I call you as my friend

Sorrow of your separation

হেরি অহরহ তোমারি বিরহ
heri ohoroho tomari biroho
(Tagore's own translation)

Sorrow of your separation
Proclaims itself over the world

Many a form it takes
On hills and dales
Many a garb it dons
From sky to sea

Amidst star spangled skies
In silence it awaits
Steadfast so in its gaze
In showering monsoons
Rings out its melody
In leaves tinkled by rain

Looms much woe in many a home
A pain intense of estrangement
Stems forth in all work, all desires
In all love, all joys, all sorrows

Distracting me throughout my life
It melts and flows in many a song
Taking its space within my heart

So be it if in your love

আমি তোমার প্রেমে হব সবার কলঙ্কভাগী
ami tomar preme

So be it if in your love
Stained am I with many taints
For my love I can and will
Gladly welcome all disgrace

Thorns on your way pluck I will
On the dust that you lie down
There will I spread my raiment
Enchanted and enamoured
Lost have I my heart to you

No more follow rules will I
No more lug a mat pristine
The mud on which you keep your feet
I seek its stain upon my heart

You play your flute in varied tunes

দিনের বেলায় বাঁশি তোমার
diner belay banshi tomar

You play your flute in varied tunes
Off and on through the day
Your songs they find a way to me
You remain far away

Those I ask “Who is it that plays”
They confuse me with many names
Many a door I knock in vain

Deep darkness now descends on skies
Exhausted the day rests its eyes
Still I wander in search of you

Do not stand apart from me
Step inside, be seated within
Do play your flute
In chambers inmost of my heart

Step out of your small little self

আপন হতে বাহির হয়ে বাইরে দাঁড়া
apon hote bahir hoye baire dara (audio)

Step out of your small little self
Feel your pulse beat to the rhythm
Of this world wide and wondrous

This wave that surges forth
Let it dance within you
And stir your very core

You who are busy as a bee
Do alight, sit still amidst the azure
Be swathed in the gold pollen of sunlight

Where freedom knows no bounds
There unfurl your two wings
Amidst one and all set yourself free




Another version by Anandamayee Majumdar:

Step out in the world
Touch the breath beyond your own,
And the universe will vibrate within.

This grand, cosmic wave
Let it lilt, lap, lunge in your heart
Have your soul sing to it.

Hold yourself in this blue paradigm
Like a restful bee, sifted with sun-dust
Of a dawning sky.

Splay your wings in the space
Of an endless recess
Swimming in the sweet breadth
Where every being heaves and teems.

Her silhouette I see in the skies

আমার প্রিয়ার ছায়া
amar priyar chhaya (audio)

Her silhouette I see in the skies today
Her presence in tear laden sighs of rain

Shyly she peeps through the veil of clouds
Who does she hope to glimpse
In soft glow of the evening star
She recalls the lamps lit at dusk
Their light now extinguished

A welcome garland she wreathes
With fragrance of rain-soaked forests
Her thoughts wander losing themselves
In gray skies pouring down with rain
Flutters her skirt to joyous thrills
That ripple through the verdant greens

My beloved her silhouette I see in the skies
Her presence I feel in tear laden sighs of rain

I'll find a humble seat on the earth

আসনতলের মাটির 'পরে লুটিয়ে রব
Oi ashon toler matir pore lutiye robo (audio)

I'll find a humble seat on the earth.
Must you abandon me with eulogy?
Don't you go on deluding me.
Bring us close with my surrender
I'll be soiled with your dusty feet.

I'll be the last of the pilgrims,
just offer me the meanest seat.

Many come to you for assistance.
I'll see and ask for nothing.
When all is given I'll accept leftover.
I'll be soiled with your dusty feet.

Daylight dims

আর নাই রে বেলা, নামল ছায়া
Ar nai re bela, naamlo chhaya dhoronite (audio)
(Tagore's own translation)

Daylight dims
shadow cover the earth,
so now let go to the river
and fill our pitchers.

The sunset poem
enamors a twilight sky to tears,
a music that begs me
To walk away.

This is a lonesome path,
but the river of love
billows with emotion,
the wind wells up.

I wonder if I will ever return,
I wonder who I will see.
On the shores of parting,
the same stranger makes somber melodies
on the boat.

I need your grace

দয়া দিয়ে হবে গো মোর জীবন ধুতে
Doya diye hobe go mor jeebon dhute (audio: Sandhya Mukherjee)

I need your grace to clean my path.
How else can I softly surrender?

I was bringing flowers for your altar,
when my darkness was revealed to me
and I failed to offer my heart.

I didn't realize I was smothered in dirt
till now, there was no shame.

Suddenly pain gnawed at my heart
suddenly I craved light
a child's hunger for mother's love.
Please do not leave me to lie in the dust
ever again.

You come to bless my eyes..

আমার নয়ন-ভুলানো এলে
Amar noyono-bhulano ele 

You come to bless my eyes..
Beauty my heart.. just found!
Near the Shiuli trees.. divine..
blossoms tossed on dewy grass..
your steps.. colored with morning sun..
you have come to bless.. my eyes..

A veil made of sun.. and shade..
floats and falls on forest..beds..
Flowers.. gazing at your face..
whisper among themselves.

We welcome.. you here.. encore..
raise the flutter at your door..
a thin white veil of autumn clouds..
as you come to bless.. my eyes..

We can hear your welcome.. song..
our Forest Mother.. sings for you.
The sky.. brings with its lute
symphonies to match.. a tune..

Do I hear your golden.. bells?
that would be my deepest heart..
Take me over all my house..
Melt the harshness .. with flowing joy..
as you come.. to bless my eyes..

(translation by Ananda)


(another version by Rumela)

Enchanting my eyes you come..

What is this I sight, laying bare my heart..

Beside the bursting trees of Shiuli..

Through the troves of falling flowers..

Your feet kissed by the crimson sun..

Trace their way in dew.. drenched grass..

Enchanting my eyes.. you come..

A veil of light and shade..

Falls gently over the forests..

What is it they say in their heart..

The flowers gazing at your face..

We offer you a ceremonial welcome..

Do take off the veil from your face..

Remove that weave of cloud and haze..

The deep sound of conches.. echo..

At the doors of woodland nymphs..

A welcome song resounds across

The strings of the sky-lute..

I hear a trill of golden anklet bells..

Where? Maybe within my heart..

You come flooding sweetness..

In every thought, in every chore..

A sweetness melting even stone..

You come in a deluge of bliss..

Enchanting my eyes.. you come..

No more will I carry myself

আর আমায় আমি নিজের শিরে বইব না 
aar amay ami nijer shirey
(Tagore's own translation)

No more will I carry myself
On my very shoulders
I will wait no more at my door
Like a beggar

Flinging this burden at your feet
Set out I will without a care
I will keep no track of it
I will say not a word

No more will I carry myself
On my very shoulders

My desire all that it touches
In a flash it extinguishes
All that it has amassed
Through it’s touch unholy
No more do I want it
If not touched with your love
Take it I will no more

No more will I carry myself
On my very shoulders

You stepped down from your royal throne

তব সিংহাসনের আসন হতে
tobo shinghashoner ashon hote
(Tagore's own translation)

You stepped down from your royal throne
You came and stood Oh Lord
At the door of my lonely room

Alone I was singing to myself
Hearing it’s strain you came
You came and stood Oh Lord
At the door of my lonely room

Many are songs, many great ones
Who grace your august assembly
Today the song of this poor soul
Has found expression in your love

Amidst the many melodies
In the vast universe
My soulful tune did touch a chord
You came with a garland in your hand
You came and stood Oh Lord
At the door of my lonely room

Come in dark clouds water laden

এসো হে এসো সজল ঘন
esho hey esho shojol ghono

Come in dark clouds water laden
Dense drops drizzling down on earth
Spilling forth your affection
In fresh and green frondescence
Come do come into this life

Summits caressed by your kiss
Shadows embracing forests
Ranging across the wide sky
Come do come with a rumble

Labours the Kadamba tree
Bursting with joyous blossoms
Rises mischievous babble
On the banks of the river

Come to permeate my heart
Come to douse and quench my thirst
Come to soothe and cool my eyes
Come deep into my being

You come to unite with me

আমার মিলন লাগি তুমি
amar milon lagi
(Tagore's own translation)

You come to unite with me
Since aeons are you on your way
Can your sun and moon ever
Keep you out of sight from me


Your footsteps resonate from dawn to dusk through the ages
Your envoy has in secret sent a message to my heart

Today O great wayfarer
My heart quivers with a thrill
As if the time has come now
My work is all complete
The breeze brings with it Oh Lord
A faint hint of your fragrance

- 31st August 1909

I am bound, to break free I want

জড়ায়ে আছে বাধা ছাড়ায়ে যেতে চাই
joraye aachhey bandha
(Tagore's own translation)

I am bound, to break free I want

I cringe in pain as I try

I go to you to seek freedom

I curl in shame as I speak

I know you reign supreme in life

No riches, no treasure like you
Yet I cling on, I cannot leave
The little I have in my home

Dust settles on my heart
It conceals you from me
A thousand deaths it brings
I hate it from my core
Yet it is that I love

So much there is to do
Much have I neglected
Many are the failures
More so the evasions
So it is when I beseech
Praying for my welfare
My heart squirms in fear

O Silent One

ওগো মৌন না যদি কও
ogo mouno na jodi kau
(Tagore's own translation)

O Silent One
So be it if you do not speak
I’ll fill my heart with Your silence

Quiet as the night I will sit still
Alight stars that shine on and on
Bowing down in humble patience
Wavering not for a moment

Arrive will dawn it surely will
Deep darkness of night disappear
Your message it is I will see
Streaking the sky in streams of gold

Will it then the birds in my nest
Burst in a song strung with Your words
To Your tune buds come into bloom
On leafy vines in my garden

In my parting words

যাবার দিনে এই কথাটি
Jabar dine ei kothati bole jeno jai (audio: Debabrata Biswas)
(Tagore's own translation)


With my last words let me sing
how wonderful was everything
all I received and all I've seen.

Let me say, I touched a heart
the sacred lotus in a sea of light
Let me say, I am blessed
my breath felt like delight.

In this playhouse I played so hard
I found wonders beyond the mark.
Let me say, that I touched
endlessness within me.
And if it has to end here now
so be it, let it be.

Do you sense him coming near

তোরা শুনিস নি কি শুনিস নি  
Tora shunish ni ki shunish ni (audio link: Suchitra Mitra)
(Tagore's own translation)

Do you sense him coming near
footsteps only a heartbeat away.
His vibes seem clear
with each passing moment
every day, night and moment.

In my joyful, frenzied songs
I have passed on the news 
that he is coming home.

In Spring his arrival opens up
forest trails
In monsoon he soars ahead
with the clouds.
His vibes seem clear
with each passing moment.

He pauses in my heart
through all my hurt
and makes it joy
with his magic touch.
His vibes seem clear
with each passing moment.

He came and sat beside me

সে যে পাশে এসে বসেছিল
shey je pashey eshey boshechhilo
(Tagore's own translation)

He came and sat beside me
Yet awaken I did not
Wrapped you were in which slumber
Oh poor unfortunate one
He came in silence of night
The Veena gracing His hands
In my dream He played a tune
A deep soulful melody

Woke to feel the southern breeze
Maddened it raced to and fro
His fragrance floating around
Suffusing the deep darkness
Why does my night go by so
Having close it cannot hold
Blessed touch of His garland
How could my heart miss it so

It won’t do to slip past hidden

অমন আড়াল দিয়ে লুকিয়ে গেলে
awmon aral diye lukiye gele

It won’t do to slip past so
Keeping yourself hidden

Hide and sit now within my heart
None will know, none will say a word
Hide and seek you play in this world
Much as I scout home and abroad
I beg of you do assure me
In my heart caught you will be
Deceiving me no more

I know I have a heart of stone
A place not fit to rest your feet

Can it not melt that heart

A caress of your breath my friend

So what if unmindful am I
A little sprinkling of your grace
Can it not make flowers blossom
Bear fruit in an instant

It won’t do to slip past so
Keeping yourself hidden

Your golden salver decorate

তোমার সোনার থালায় সাজাব আজ
tomar shonar thalay shajabo aaj
(Tagore's own translation)

Your golden salver decorate
I will with woeful tears today
Oh Mother wreathe I will for you
A necklace of pearly teardrops
The sun and moon like an anklet
Embrace and embellish your feet
The ornaments forged with my woe
Will find a place at your bosom

Earthly goods are your gifts
Bless me if you so wish
If not do take them back

Sorrow is but my very own
You are the one to judge it’s worth
That gem you buy offering me your grace
My sole honour and pride it is

My melodies reflect your smile

আমার সুরে লাগে তোমার হাসি
Amar shure lage tomar hashi (audio: Chinmoy Chattopadhyay)

My melodies reflect your smile
Waves sparkle with sunshine.

I keep seeking out your tunes.
Your flute steals away my heart
in one secret flash of start.

In my quest I fall behind,
I skip all the daily grind 
failing at improving mind.

My heart wanders far and lost
trying to hold you with her song.
Loving to be gripped with tunes
That you make me, all day long.  

Spell of nothing

 অনেক দিনের শূন্যতা মোর ভরতে হবে
Onek diner shunnota mor bhorte hobe
Audio : Debabrata Biswas and Geeta Naha

I shall have to end
my long spell of nothing
to make music with my heart.
Give me grace
to play my strings.

Your song blows in the wind
asks spring buds to awake.
Help me flower then
in your cosmic ceremony.

Show your unseen love
in a sea of lotus.

Help me touch everything.
Open my eyes to my pride.
Hand me the keys to unlock,
and bend.

The song that plays within..

amar maner majhe

আমার মনের মাঝে যে গান বাজে 

The song that plays within..
Do you hear it,
Whenever you give me a cue 
Of your presence in my eyes?
The sun-rays absorb the dew..
In the flower's heart,
Is this how you absorb my ballads?
When my wandering soul comes out,
It gets trapped.. everywhere..
Fresh leaves.. in their first spring..
What secrets do they share with the sunlight?
Such are secrets.. that my heart.. whispers..

I listen to you speak on

অনেক কথা যাও যে বলে 
Awnek kotha jao je bole (audio: Chinmoy Chatterjee)


I listen to you speak on
With a deliberate silence
It dawns on me I have given up
On reading your mind

You wish to invade,
To bore into my heart,
With a scathing smile.
As you dart me a look of eagerness,
I seek to evade you, and return.

My eyes are rinsed lucid
With tears and hurt.
They behold you with utter clarity.
But yours do not.

Unknown as it may be to you,
A fogginess ensconces your heart.
In case unawares, you play tricks on me
I seek to evade you, and return.



(Another version by Rumela Sengupta:)

Many a thing you say having said not a word
I've forsaken all hopes to fathom your words

Your smile like an arrow pierces
The one who lives within my heart
With a timid startle you look
Peer at me with curiosity
So it is I wish to evade
So it is I turn away

My gaze it is enrobed in tears
You I see, but me you do not
Your mind is fogged in a mist
Unknown you remain to yourself
Lest unknowingly you let me down
So it is I wish to evade
So it is I turn away