by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
Translation by André Gide (1869 - 1951)
Light, my light, the world‑filling light
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.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 57, first published 1913 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 57
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Josef Alexander (1907 - 1992), "Light, my light", 1973 [ soprano, harpsichord, and percussion ], from Gitanjali, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Boelter (b. 1952), "Heaven's river", 1996 [ SATB chorus, oboe, clarinet, percussion, and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Alden Carpenter (1876 - 1951), "Light, my light", published 1914 [ voice and piano ], from Gitanjali (Song Offerings), no. 6, New York, G. Schirmer [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Jonathan Harvey (1939 - 2012), "Second song", 1985 [ soprano and chamber ensemble ], from Song Offerings, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Thomas Hastings , "The Light, my Light" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wendy Hiscocks (b. 1963), "Light, my light", 1998 [ women's chorus a cappella ], from A Tagore Album, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by David Leisner (b. 1958), "Light", 1991 [ soprano and guitar ], from Heaven's River, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Fitz Rogers (b. 1963), "Light, my light", 2008 [ soprano and piano ], from Songs of Time and Tide, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Landon Ronald, Sir (1873 - 1938), "Light my light", 1913 [ voice and piano ], from Four Song Offerings - 1st series, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Raymond Murray Schafer (b. 1933), "Gitanjali no. 57", 1962 [ soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, and women's chorus ], from Four Songs on Texts by Tagore, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Raymond Murray Schafer (b. 1933), "Light, my light, the world-filling light", 1991 [ soprano and orchestra ], from Gitanjali, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Shepherd (1880 - 1958), "Light, my light", 1927 [ high voice and string quartet ], from Triptych, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frank Ticheli (b. 1958), "Light", 1993 [ medium voice, piano, and alto saxophone ], from Songs of Tagore, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Thomas Wegren , "Butterfly sails", 1994 [ tenor, piano, and cassette tape ], from Songs of Gitanjali, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]
The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:
- by Gwyneth Walker (b. 1947), "Light, my light", 1999 [ SATB chorus and string quartet ], from The Golden Harp, no. 4
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 page: Geoffrey Wieting
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 13
Word count: 111
Lumière ! ma lumière ! lumière...
Language: French (Français) after the English
Our translations: ENG
Lumière ! ma lumière ! lumière emplissant le monde, lumière baiser des yeux, douceur du cœur, lumière ! Ah ! la lumière danse au centre de ma vie ! Bien-aimé, mon amour retentit sous la frappe de la lumière. Les cieux s'ouvrent ; le vent bondit ; un rire a parcouru la terre. Sur l'océan de la lumière, mon bien-aimé, le papillon ouvre son aile. La crête des vagues de lumière brille de lys et de jasmins. La lumière, ô mon bien-aimé, brésille l'or sur les nuées ; elle éparpille à profusion les pierreries. Une jubilation s'étend de feuille en feuille, ô mon amour ! une aise sans mesure. Le fleuve du ciel a noyé ses rives ; tout le flot de joie est dehors.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Rabîndranâth Tagore. L’Offrande lyrique (Gitanjali). Traduction d'André Gide, Paris, Éditions de la Nouvelle revue française, 1917, pages 119-120.
Text Authorship:
- by André Gide (1869 - 1951), no title, appears in Gitanjali (L'Offrande lyrique), no. 57, first published 1914 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English 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
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Lumière! ma lumière!", 2006 [ high voice or medium voice and piano ], from Trois Chansons de Gidé, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Comolata Banerji (189? - 19??), "Lumière! ma lumière!", 1926 [ voice and piano ], from Song Offerings, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Elsa Barraine (1910 - 1999), "Hymne à la lumière", c1935 [ high voice and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean-Émile-Paul Cras (1879 - 1932), no title, 1920, published 1921 [ high voice and piano ], from L'offrande lyrique, no. 6, Éd. Rouart Lerolle [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Alfred Désenclos (1912 - 1971), "Lumière, ma lumière", 1951 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Durey (1888 - 1979), "Lumière! ma lumière !", op. 14 no. 6 (1914) [ voice and piano ], from L'offrande lyrique, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rolande Falcinelli (1920 - 2006), "Lumière, ma Lumière!", op. 55 no. 3 (1975) [ high voice and organ ], from 3 Chants profanes, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Qi Feng Wu) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Geoffrey Wieting
This text was added to the website: 2003-12-22
Line count: 13
Word count: 115