Song
Rabindranath was the world-song sung by the Singer in him. A golden chain of beauty and love did come into existence from this world-song to bind the two extremities of the globe, the East and the West.But Rabindranath once said that, when he was capable of singing, his own compositions were very few, but when he became a prolific composer of songs his voice failed him.
And here is a prophetic utterance of Tagore about his own songs:
"With the march of time everything changes. But I can definitely say that my songs will have a considerably greater stability. Especially the Bengalis will have no other alternative but to sing my songs in the hours of their sorrow, grief, joy and delight. They needs must sing these songs epoch after epoch.
Translated from Alapchari Rabindranath by Rani Chanda"
Tagore burst into fame with more than two thousand songs. In the West Schubert comes second with six hundred or so.
Translated from Alapchari Rabindranath by Rani Chanda"
Finally, I cannot help reproducing here a few momentous words from Tagore’s Fruit Gathering.
"To the birds you gave songs, the birds gave you songs in return.
You gave me only voice, yet asked for more, and I sing."
You gave me only voice, yet asked for more, and I sing."
Sri Chinmoy, Rabindranath Tagore: the moon of Bengal’s Heart, Agni Press, 2011
