Lyrical Perfection 1
23 November 2006While I have no great opinions about my poetic abilities, my verse, however flawed, comes from my heart and soul and for that I feel happy.
Yet there are times when I feel acutely inadequate about my lyrics. Last Saturday at the British Museum, I read a snippet of Tagore’s poetry both in the original Bengali and the English translation. I stood there for far too long with my eyes moist and my breath still.
I wish I could write like this. These are my feelings…….. but why does such beauty of verse escape me?
Gitanjali- Song 7
My song has put off her adornments
She has no pride of dress and decoration
Ornaments would mar our union
They would come between thee, and me
Their jingling would drown thy whispers.
My poet’s vanity lies in shame before thy sight
O master poet, I have sat down at thy feet
Only let me make my life simple and straight
Like a flute of reed for thee to fill with music.
—–Rabindranath Tagore
(For Y, Forever)
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