by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
Translation by André Gide (1869 - 1951)
This is my delight, thus to wait
Language: English after the Bangla (Bengali)
Our translations: GER
This is my delight, thus to wait and watch at the wayside where shadow chases light and the rain comes in the wake of the summer. Messengers, with tidings from unknown skies, greet me and speed along the road. My heart is glad within, and the breath of the passing breeze is sweet. From dawn till dusk I sit here before my door, and I know that of a sudden the happy moment will arrive when I shall see. In the meanwhile I smile and I sing all alone. In the meanwhile the air is filling with the perfume of promise.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 44, first published 1912 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 44 [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Walter Arlen (1920 - 2023), "This is my delight" [ soprano and piano ], from Tellings of Beads: Five Last Songs, no. 3, confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Albert Biales (1929 - 2012), "This is my delight", 1982, first performed 1982 [ soprano and orchestra or piano ], from When the Creation Was New, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Raymond Hanson (1913 - 1976), "This is my delight", op. 14 (1941) [ soprano and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Giannis Konstantinidis (1903 - 1984), "This is my bliss", 1924-80, from Songs of Expectation, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jerold Ordansky (b. 1947), "#44 from Gitanjali", 1980 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Settings of Rabindranath Tagore, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Dutch (Nederlands), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Aleidus Coenen.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by André Gide (1869 - 1951) , appears in Gitanjali (L'Offrande lyrique), no. 44 ; composed by Henriette Puig-Roget.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Ján Móry.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-03
Line count: 17
Word count: 101
Promesse
Language: French (Français) after the English
Ceci est mon délice d’attendre et d’épier ainsi sur le bord de la route où l’ombre poursuit la lumière, et la pluie vient sur les traces de l’été. Des messagers, avec des nouvelles d’autres cieux, me saluent et se hâtent le long de la route. Mon cœur exulte au dedans de moi, et l’haleine de la brise qui passe est douce. De l’aube au crépuscule, je reste devant ma porte ; je sais que soudain l’heureux moment viendra où je verrai. Cependant je souris et je chante, tout solitaire. Cependant l’air s’emplit du parfum de la promesse.
Text Authorship:
- by André Gide (1869 - 1951), appears in Gitanjali (L'Offrande lyrique), no. 44 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 44, first published 1912
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 44 [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Henriette Puig-Roget (1910 - 1992), "Promesse" [ voice and piano ], from Douze mélodies sur des poèmes de l'Offrande lyrique de Tagore, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2025-03-30
Line count: 17
Word count: 96