Thursday, May 20, 2010

Thursdays With Tagore - May 20


Every Thursday, I shall read one of Tagore's poems as translated in this book or some other poem I can find. I shall post some lines from the poem and perhaps a detail of how I liked this poem or not. Any others who want to join in this meme are absolutely welcome to do so!

The Gift

I want to give you something, my child, for we are drifting in the
stream of the world.
    Our lives will be carried apart, and our love forgotten.
    But I am not so foolish as to hope that I could buy your heart
with my gifts.
    Young is your life, your path long, and you drink the love we
bring you at one draught and turn and run away from us.
    You have your play and your playmates. What harm is there if
you have no time or thought for us!
    We, indeed, have leisure enough in old age to count the days
that are past, to cherish in our hearts what our hands have lost
for ever.
    The river runs swift with a song, breaking through all
barriers. But the mountain stays and remembers, and follows her
with his love.

I spent about an hour trying to decide which of the several wonderful Tagore poems I read ought to be posted this week. I kept going back to this poem because it is just so tender, loving, moving and wonderful. Of all relationships, the parent-child one is very special, emotional and has a lot of potential to write about. And Tagore, in the simplicity of his words in this poem, more than captivates the reader. The last three metaphorical lines are absolutely brilliant and made my day:

The river runs swift with a song, breaking through all
barriers. But the mountain stays and remembers, and follows her
with his love.


3 comments:

Vaishnavi said...

Good choice! This piece was some how very heartbreaking. Reminds me of what my mom calls "empty nest syndrome"...

Anonymous said...

Oh I love this poem...it's a little melancholy...thanks for showcasing this..

Alyce said...

This is such a nice reflection of what happens in the parent-child relationship.

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