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EXPERIENCING TAGORE IN A FARWAY LAND

Tulip Chowdhury
Living in North Carolina, USA for the past nine months, I have been groping for each and every bit of touch with my whole being as a Bengali. In my lonely hours I have found Tagore's work to keep my heart and soul together in this foreign land. I am an ardent follower of Rabindranath Tagore and I think it this great bard who is keeping me sane in these wintry, desultory days.
In the morning when I wake up I put on my DVD of songs by Tagore. And I can hear “Edin aji kon ghore go khule dilo dar aji
prate surjo utha shofol holo kar...” I listen and take deep breaths, really waking up to the day. I open my open window I look at the sun spreading its rays across the sky. I look at the trees that line up the field below. Most of them are bare having lost their leaves to the winter's cold. There are birds that hop around on the dark branches. And every once in while the squirrels scramble up the tree and chase each other. This is picture of life going on despite the winter’s chill. In Tagore's words I hum,
“Jaaijaai, chhere dao, sroter mukhe
bheshe jaai
jahobar ta hobe amar, bheshechito bheshe jaai...."
I look at the piles of withered leaves and flowers and sigh. How they had to die in order to let winter come. Fallen leaves return to their roots! Captured aptly in Tagore's song,
"Phooltijhore gechhere bhuji she ushar alo .. .ushar deshe chole gechhe..."
As the morning moves on I go out to stand beneath the trees. It is cold there but the shivering me delights in the cold. Birds that have not yet flown away sing cheerily and fill my heart with astrange contentedness. Once again it is Tagore that fills my
"Aji e prabhate rabir kar kemane pashila praner par kemane pashila guhar andhare, prabhat pakhir gaan...."
I have brought Tagore's Golpaguchcho and Gitajanli (collections of short stories and poems) with me from Dhaka. They are my constant companions in my lonely hours. There are so many places to visit up here. Up in Raleigh downtown there is always some event or the other going on. And being Christmas time the malls are
simply majestic with all that illumination! While I am roaming around momentarily there is joy but from time to time the heart cries for home. And I think of the song, "Puranto shei diner kotha bhulbi kite hai.. ..o shei, chokher dekha, praner kotha sheibhul jai....”
I am filled with wonder, even nostalgia in Tagore's words! When I see lovers holding hands and enjoying the gift of love I think of hundreds of songs that Tagore has sung to love. And here again I find,
“Adorini tor lagi petechi eibakhkha sthol
ai tore buke rakhi...tumi dekhoami
dekhi
shashe shash
mishaibo.. .aakhijole.. .aakhijol..."
I am astounded, how versatile and varied were the subjects of the great word master! It seems as if he has found words for each and every thread of emotions. No wonder he is immortal, no wonder he rules the heart of millions everyday! I am certain that I am not alone in finding Tagore to fill my heart to the brim with his words, there are thousands of others who cry and laugh with the words of the great bard!
Tulip Chowdhury is a poet and writes fiction.