Continued from pages wonderful drama of this world: the way in which human beings. amidst chaos and uncertainty, struggle feverishly, desperately and in mental agony for order and harmony. For him. on the contrary, this harmony exists, as it were, from the very beginning. It is innate in him along with a certain lukewarmness of the ’blood and that characteristic Indian softness; and he merely passes on this feeling of harmony to his students and others."

Stefan Zweig remained the one reputed German writer who has retained a critical appreciation of Rabindranath Tagore for a large number of years, as we see from his letters to. Ramain Romain Rolland.

Hermann Hesse and Stefan Zweig had visited Asia and lived with Indian thought for much of their Ilves, The other two eminent German writers who wrote on Rabindranath. . Thomas Mann and Rainer Maria Rilke, entertained no such leanings. Rilke's interest in Asia was focussed on Russia, while Marin remained staunchly entrenched in the German traditions of philosophical thought derived from Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche.

Hence it is not surprising that Thomas Mann reacted rather strongly against what he termed "Indian mildness" and idealism. Mann was known to be a realistic bourgeois writer and thus was a pole apart from the metaphysical idealism of Rabindranath. But as Thomas Mann was in the 1920s among the best-known German writers. the two busiest propagators of Rabindranath Tagore In Germany — Hermann Keyser -ling and Kurt wolf — both tried to bring Rabindranath and Thomas Mann together.

In 1921, Hermann Keyser-Ung sent a letter to Thomas Mann asking him to write an article publicising Keyser

Ling's plan to launch a "Tagore-Week" in Darmstadt. He probably also requested Mann to go to Darmstadt to actively participate in the venture. In his reply. Mann declined the Invitation and explained his reasons • politely, but without mincing words.

"Dear and Respected Count Keyserling,

I cordially than k you for your letter. It exudes so much enthusiasm that I almost packed my bags and went to Darmstadt. However, this would have been easier than writing an article, particularly one canvassing for this famous Indian of whom I have, whether you believe it or not. no understanding, or almost node, until now. I am familiar with isolated, intensely soulful poems of his which, however, reading them in German, made no immediate impression on me. as indeed is the case witlj all translated poetry, the image I have always had of him is picturesque but pallied. Surely 1 do him an injustice in assuming'that the subjective pdllor of this image reflects reality: in presuming him to be a typical Indian pacifist, animated by a somewhat nanaemic humanitarian spirit and a mildness which I deemed almost hostile in the years 1 spent engrossed in viO' lent emotional conflict. Surely the man is totally different. Since I understand from your letter that he has made a deep impression on you. he must be great. But ks It is you who are under his personal spell, how can you think that someone else, for example myself, cop Id be the right person to write an essay publicising the Tagore Week in Darmstadt? This you have to do yourself!.

It is important to realise that Thomas Mann broached the subject of translations, doubting the validity of translated poetry, while the fact that Rabindranath s poetry was . translated from an English

What had happened on this ill-fated morning? Thomas Mann had listened to Rabindranath. and then moved forward to introduce himself in English. He immediately -pushed his wife in front to let her do the talking, embarrassingly. Rabindranath did not seem to grasp that it was Thomas Mann who was standing before him. Alluding to Rabindranath's long hair and flowing robe, and general de-’ meanour, M,annh ironically likened him to a "fine old English lady". One 'mpst remember th^t he made this remark in a private diary.

Rainer Maria Rilke had already heard of Rabindranath Tagore's Gitan/ali in September 191?. that IS, two months before the Indian _poel was awarded the Nobet Prize. This makes Rilke the first German man of letters who had heard and commented on the Poet. In a letter to his friend Lou Andreas-Salome. Rilke mentioned, in a brief*sentence. an "article about 'Rabindranath Tagore, the Bengali poet of whom Van Eeden. who had a .voluminous correspondence with Rabindranath,' was himself a Dutch poet, and also a physician and social reformer.

Later, towards the end of the year, Andre Gice read out his own French translation of Gitanjali In Paris. This was Just a month after the news that Tagore was to receive the Novel Prize had been announced. Rilke, impressed by Gide's rendering, mentioned it in letters to several close friends, and also to the German publisher of Rabindranath. Kurt Wolff. To him. Rilke wrote:

Dear Mr Wolff.

...T am eagerly awaiting the German edition of Rabindranath Tagore Andre Gide has recently acquainted us here with his impression of this poet. His translation of Gitanjali. from which he enthusiastically presented a few extracts, seems genuinely to be animated by the spirit of the original poems."

prose version Into Genpan apparently did not pose a problem to the other writers mentioned here, including Rainer Maria Rilke (to whom we shall turn currently). Also mark how cleverly Thomas Mann criticised the Indian poet in frint of his enthusiastic admirer. Keyserllrig. Beginning his tongue-in-cheek criticism With the words "Surely I do him an injustice ' in assuming", he nonetheless uttered this presumed "injustice" comprehensively!

Thomas Mann thus avoided going to Darmstadt. But when Rabindranath Tagore visited Munich, Where Mann resided, he no longer could avoid the Indian poet, especially since Kurt Wolff, a leading. German publisher, invited Mann. First ne was invited to a lecture of Rabindranath, and the next day to a recitation given at Kurt Wolffs home. Ori both occasions Mann thought it a social obligation to go. taking along his wife. Katya, to the recitation. His diary which was published ’long after his death.-gives a sketchy account of what has happened:

(Tuesday. 7th June 19211

In the evening, attended Tagore's lecture at the university. Sat in frcfnt of K Wolff, next to Bjornson. greeted^the Pilar 16. Odd, but rather accurately anticipated impression of this Indian. Went home on foot. Tagore desires to make my acquaintance, an’d is lecturing tomorrow at Wolffs to which we are Invited.

(Wednesday. 8th June 1921]

At 11 drove with K (atyal to Kurt Wolfs for R. Tagore's lec ture. Select gathering. The impression of a fine old English lady gained strength.' His son was brown and muscular - a masculine type. I was introduced, said "it was go beautiful" and pushed K(atya) forward: "my wife who speaks English better than I". He did not seem to grasp who I was.