Light, my light | Light, my light, the world-filling light

by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)

Translation by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)

আলো আমার আলো ওগো, আলো ভূবন ভরা

Language: Bangla (Bengali)

আলো আমার আলো ওগো, আলো ভূবন ভরা
আলো নয়ন ধোওয়া আমার আলো হৃদয় হরা ।

নাচে আলো নাচে ও ভাই, আমার প্রাণের কাছে -
বাজে আলো বাজে ও ভাই, হৃদয়বীণার মাঝে
জাগে আকাশ, ছোটে বাতাস, হাসে সকল ধরা ।

আলোর স্রোতে পাল তুলেছে হাজার প্রজাপতি
আলোর ঢেউয়ে উঠল মেতে মল্লিকা মালতী ।

মেঘে মেঘে সোনা, ও ভাই যায়না মানিক গোনা -
পাতায় পাতায় হাসি ও ভাই, পুলক রাশি রাশি ।
সুরনদীর কূল ডুবেছে সুধা-নিঝর-ঝরা।
      - অচলায়তন

About the headline (FAQ)

Here is a transliteration used by several composers who have set this to music:

Alo amar, alo ogo, alo bhubon bhora
alo noyon dhoa amar, alo hridoe hara.

Nache alo nache, o bhai, amar praner kachhe --
baje alo baje, o bhai, hridoe binar majhe --
jage akash, chhoţe batash, hashe shokol dhora.

Alor srote pal tulechhe hajar projapoti.
Alor đheue uţhlo mete mollika maloti.

Meghe meghe shona, o bhai, jae na manik gona --
patae patae hashi, o bhai, pulok rashi rashi.
Shuronodir kul ḍubechhe shudha-nijhor-jhora.
      -Ocholaeoton

Text Authorship:

by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 57

See other settings of this text.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-11-04
Line count: 11
Word count: 73

Light, my light

(Sung text for setting by J. Carpenter)

Matches original text

Language: English after the Bangla (Bengali)

Our translations: GER

Light, my light, the world-filling light,
the eye-kissing light, heart-sweetening light!

Ah, the light dances, my darling, at the centre of my life;
the light strikes, my darling, the chords of my love;
the sky opens, the wind runs wild, laughter passes over the earth.

The butterflies spread their sails on the sea of light.
Lilies and jasmines surge up on the crest of the waves of light.

The light is shattered into gold on every cloud, my darling,
and it scatters gems in profusion.

Mirth spreads from leaf to leaf, my darling,
and gladness without measure. 
The heaven's river has drowned its banks 
and the flood of joy is abroad.

Composition:

John Alden Carpenter

Gitanjali (Song Offerings)

Text Authorship:

by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 57, first published 1913

Based on:

a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 57
- Go to the text page.

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Researcher for this page: Geoffrey Wieting

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 13
Word count: 111