by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
Translation by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
I long to speak the deepest words I have...
Language: English  after the Bangla (Bengali)
I long to speak the deepest words I have to say to you; But I dare not, for fear you should laugh. That is why I laugh at myself and shatter my secret in jest. I make light of my pain, afraid that you should do so. I long to tell you the truest words I have to say to you; But I dare not, being afraid that you would not believe them. That is why I disguise them in untruth, saying the contrary of what I mean. I make my pain appear absurd, afraid that you should do so. I long to use the most precious words I have for you; But [I]1 dare not, fearing I should not be paid with like value. That is why I [gave]2 you hard names and boast of my callous strength. I hurt you, for fear you should never know any pain. I long to [sit]3 silent by you; But I dare not lest my heart come out at my lips. That is why I prattle and chatter lightly and hide my heart behind words. I rudely handle my pain, for fear you should do so. I long to go away from your side; but I dare not, For fear my cowardice should become known to you. That is why I hold my head high and carelessly come into your presence. Constant thrusts from your eyes keep my pain fresh for ever.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 omitted by Sohal.
2 Sohal: "give"
3 Sohal: "visit"
Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in The Gardener, no. 41 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941) [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 Naresh Sohal (b. 1939), "Poems of Tagore I", 1970 [ soprano and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-01-24
Line count: 20
Word count: 240