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.