Here is thy footstool | Here is thy footstool

by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)

Translation by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)

Here is thy footstool

Language: English after the Bangla (Bengali)

Our translations: FRE GER

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:

by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 10, first published 1912 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 10, first published 1912 [text unavailable]
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Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Paul Creston, born Giuseppe Guttoveggio (1906 - 1985), "Here is thy footstool", op. 11 no. 2 (1945) [ mixed chorus a cappella ], from Three Chorales from Tagore, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in Swedish (Svenska), a translation by Andrea Butenschön (1866 - 1948) , first published 1915 ; composed by Edvin Kallstenius.
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Other 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: 16
Word count: 87