Remembering Rabindranath Tagore Volume - High Commission of ...

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Remembering Rabindranath Tagore
Equally Tagore’s songs in the Prem or love category were addressed to both the beloved
and to the creator. Without prem he wrote, all the beauty of the world would be futile. In a
celebrated love song Tagore wrote:
If you do not fill my heart with love
Why then do you suffuse the morning skies with such songs?
Why do you string garlands from stars and make a bed out of flowers?
Why does the spring breeze whisper sweet nothings into my ears?
In the songs of the seasons (Prakriti) Tagore sought to capture the perfect beauty and
love that could be found in the self-sufficiency of nature and its self contained balance.
Appreciation of true beauty could not be limited merely to an assessment of colour,
fragrance and form. External beauty could entice the eyes but could never enter the soul.
For Tagore anandaroop or the manifestation of bliss was a divine revelation of beauty – it
was not limited by what was momentary. Through this beauty, divine bliss could be realised,
and through death immortality. The perfect balance in nature, which was Tagore’s ideal of
beauty, was best exemplified in the two seasons, basant and varsha (spring and monsoon) that
complemented each other. Basant or spring was like a wandering spirit whereas monsoon
or varsha was housebound. Despite the apparent impermanence of the seasons, Tagore
found in nature a continuous and ever-present spiritual presence, which was held in balance
and harmony. The celebration of the seasons through songs and dance became an annual
feature of the community life at Santiniketan.
Tagore’s ānushthanik or occasion specific songs were meant to create a mood appropriate
for a whole range of events that marked quotidian life. In this category of occasion-specific
songs one theme that Tagore dwelt on at length was the path, its travellers and the journey
of life of which he was an observer. He wrote in this song:
It is my pleasure to keep gazing at the path
Light plays with shadow - the monsoons come, and also spring,
So many come and go before me, bringing news
I remain happy with my thoughts, while the breeze blows softly… 8
One of his celebrated songs on life’s journey was –
Nothing but going and coming
And drifting along currents
Nothing but laughter in light and tears in darkness
Just a glimpse, a fleeting touch
Just drifting apart with tearful longing
Towards fresh laments, leaving behind false hopes 9
Rabindranath’s period of music composition was broadly divided into three phases 1875-
1900; 1901-1920; 1921-1941. Although the first period (1875 – 1900) primarily saw the
recognition of his singing talent it was a very important phase for his song composition,