Motherland

Motherland

Through sin, piety, despair, cheer, rise and fall,

Let ‘em grow as men, these your children all.

O loving motherland, in your safe shelter,

Cradle them no longer, as children forever.

In this wide world, for each his goal,

Let each discover, the calling of his soul.

Fear not their slips. O do not always forbid,

Unleash their bounds. Let docility be rid.

With blood and toil, in darkness and despair,

Let each battle fate, with their hands bare.

To follow the path, of the curious and the great,

Rid ‘em of their homes. Let each his nest create.

Of seventy million sons, O devoted mother,

Make men out of them, prouder and stronger.

Translted by: Chinmoy Bhattacharjee

Original: “Bongomata” by Rabindranath Tagore

Bongomata (বঙ্গমাতা), a part of his Chaitali (চৈতালি) collection, was composed in the later part of the 19^th century. It is a rousing call to arms for the society. But rather than identifying with a cause, instead of inspiring to a revolution – Tagore focusses on the innate and the behavioural. His call to arms is therefore directed at building character, strength, fortitude and bravery. He does not merely call upon the motherland, he calls upon every mother to no longer bring up their children in sheltered cocoons – but bring them up facing the harsh contours of life. So that they learn to be unafraid, unhesitant and ready to battle through life in order to claim their destiny.

Tagore has remained fiercely apolitical all through his life. Even though Bengal in those times burned in the fires of nationalism, he remained largely aloof. However, it is poems such as this, that beggars the question – did he remain un-impacted? I have always believed that it would have been impossible for Tagore to forever remain detached. The call of the motherland was far too strong – the winds carried these voices far and wide. Every Indian envisioned revolution in their own way – from the political to the societal. This poem carried forth his visions of revolution – that of creating a dauntless society, where its children would grow up as men.

Rabindranath had made this call to Bengal – to the motherland of seventy million Bengalis. I have deliberately omitted the reference to Bengal in this translation in the belief that this clarion call would apply equally to all societies, to all nations. Like always, the original is included below for those who are conversant with the Bengali script.

পূণ্যে পাপে দুঃখে সুখে পতনে উত্থানে

মানুষ হইতে দাও তোমার সন্তানে

হে স্নেহার্ত বঙ্গভূমি, তব গৃহক্রোড়ে

চিরশিশু করে আর রাখিয়ো না ধরে।

দেশদেশান্তর-মাঝে যার যেথা স্থান

খুঁজিয়া লইতে দাও করিয়া সন্ধান।

পদে পদে ছোটো ছোটো নিষেধের ডোরে

বেঁধে বেঁধে রাখিয়ো না ভালোছেলে করে।

প্রাণ দিয়ে, দুঃখ স'য়ে, আপনার হাতে

সংগ্রাম করিতে দাও ভালোমন্দ-সাথে।

শীর্ণ শান্ত সাধু তব পুত্রদের ধরে

দাও সবে গৃহছাড়া লক্ষ্মীছাড়া ক'রে।

সাত কোটি সন্তানেরে, হে মুগ্ধ জননী,

রেখেছ বাঙালী করে, মানুষ কর নি।

[Translated in Paris on 9^th April 2019 – in the waiting lobby of Ibis Hotel and in the CDG Airport]