by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
Translation by Andrea Butenschön (1866 - 1948)

Here is thy footstool
Language: English  after the Bangla (Bengali) 
Our translations:  FRE GER
Choose for Diff
Here is thy footstool 
and there rest thy feet 
where live the poorest, 
and lowliest, and lost.

When I try to bow to thee, 
my obeisance cannot reach down 
to the depth where thy feet rest 
among the poorest, and lowliest, and lost.

Pride can never approach 
to where thou walkest 
in the clothes of the humble 
among the poorest, and lowliest, and lost.

My heart can never find its way 
to where thou keepest company 
with the companionless among the poorest, 
the lowliest, and the lost.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

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

  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Voici ton repose-pied et là repose ton pied", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Demut", 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: 16
Word count: 87

Language: Swedish (Svenska)  after the English 
Här är din fotapall,
här vila dina fötter,
där de bo,
de fattigaste, de förtappade och de förkomna.

När jag försöker bringa dig min hyllning,
når min bugning ej ned till det djup,
där dina fötter vila
bland de fattigaste, de förtappade och de förkomna.

Högmod kan ej nalkas dig
där du vandrar 
i de ringes kläder
bland de fattigaste, de förtappade och de förkomna.

Mitt hjärta kan aldrig hitta vägen dit, 
där du står,
vänsäll bland de vänlösa
hos de fattigaste, de förtappade och de förkomna.

Composition:

    Set to music by Edvin Kallstenius (1881 - 1967), no title, op. 32 no. 2 (1944) [ baritone and orchestra ], from cantata Sångoffer, no. 2
        Score: IMSLP [external link]

Text Authorship:

Based on:

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view

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


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Daphnis [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-07-24
Line count: 16
Word count: 87