Tagore: Eternal Dance of Harmony

Today, being 154th birth anniversary of ‘Gurudev’ Rabindranath Tagore, brings to the fore some of his songs that I love. Isn’t it amazing that someone wrote these ardent, gentle, romantic, spiritual lyrics and set their tunes as well? Rather than the philosopher in him weigh on the language, we find that he fills his expression with child-like wonder and turns the authoritative assertion into question – ever so gently, without changing the substance.

On the birthday of one of the most versatile artists we ever had, I wish his works the same eternal dance of harmony he described with such simplicity. With his choice of a single word he makes a person a microcosm of this universe.

The song, roughly translates as,

Who’s the one dancing in my mind, the rhythmic dance of  eternity? How wonderfully my body and soul respond to the beat of the Mrudanga!

Who’s this one, on whose forehead, smile and sorrow sway gently along the beat just like a TEEKA made of diamonds and Emerald! Look, birth and death dance side by side! Such a joy!!! The day and Night, Freedom and Bondage – all dance in this eternal dance of harmony.

The lyrics are:

Mamo chitte niti nritye ke je nache
Tata thai thai, tata thai thai, tata thai thai,
Tari sange ki mridange sada baje
Tata thai thai, tata thai thai, tata thai thai
Hasi kanna hira panna dole bhale
Kape chande bhalo mando tale tale
Nache janmo nache mrityu pache pache
Tata thai thai, tata thai thai, tata thai thai
Ki anando, ki anando, ki anando
Diba ratri nache mukti nache bandho
Se taronge chuti range pache pache
Tata thai thai, tata thai thai, tata thai thai