Silent Love

by Kumud Biswas

You don’t know

Brimming over the cup of my life

You have filled my being with honey

You don’t know its value.

The unseen flower

Fills the night with sweet dreamy fragrance

You don’t know with what melody

You have filled my soul

Now I have to take my leave

Please lift up your face

And smile at least once.

At my death, so sweet,

Let me offer my life at your feet.

You never knew me

Let me put an end to the night

Of my silent secret pain.

The moving love song – Amar jibanpatra uchhalia madhuri korechho dan – from the dance drama Shyama by Rabindranath Tagore. Its best recording is by Hemanta Mukherji. The original may be seen at http://www.rabindra-rachanabali.nltr.org/node/4990.

12-Dec-2010

More By : Kumud Biswas

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Comments on this Poem

The meaning of the lines quoted is very transparent and there is no contradiction. This is the song sung by Uttiya on his way to his execution. He loved Shyama secretly and silently. His love was unrequited and was therefore a sort of pain. Death was sweet because it would give him relief from that pain. I would request Dr. Mallick to read the original if possible and hear the wonderful recording of Hemanta.

TagoreBlog
13-Dec-2010 18:31 PM

At my death, so sweet,
Let me offer my life at your feet.
You never knew me
Let me put an end to the night
Of my silent secret pain.

The last line here contradicts the concluding line. When 'death' is sweet, should it give at the same time any 'pain'!

kumarendra mallick
13-Dec-2010 13:03 PM