Early in the day | Early in the day it was whispered

by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)

Translation by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)

Early in the day

Language: English after the Bangla (Bengali)

Our translations: FRE GER IRI

Early in the day it was whispered 
that we should sail in a boat, only thou and I, 
and never a soul in the world 
would know of this our pilgrimage 
to no country and to no end.

In that shoreless ocean, 
at thy silently listening smile 
my songs would swell in melodies, 
free as waves, free from all bondage of words.

Is the time not come yet? 
Are there works still to do? 
Lo, the evening has come down upon the shore 
and in the fading light 
the seabirds come flying to their nests.

Who knows when the chains will be off, 
and the boat, like the last glimmer of sunset, 
vanish into the night?

Composition:

Walter Arlen

Tellings of Beads: Five Last Songs

Text Authorship:

by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 42, first published 1912

Based on:

a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 42 [text unavailable]
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-11-03
Line count: 17
Word count: 116