Composer and an early exponent of Rabindra sangeet, Pankaj Mullick, set Tagore’s poem Diner Seshe Ghumer Deshe or ‘In the land of slumber, at day’s end’ to tune and performed it at a college festival. Soon he became quite popular and was summoned by the Tagore household. Extremely nervous, he went to Jorasanko. Mullick’s grandson, Rajiv Gupta recounted: “As he began singing in the presence of Rabindranath, who was busy writing, all the other people started leaving the room. With Tagore not paying attention, my grandfather’s anxiety increased and at one opportune moment when Rabindranath closed his eyes, he ran away.”
Lyrics:
দিনের শেষে ঘুমের দেশে ঘোমটা-পরা ওই ছায়া
ভুলালো রে ভুলালো মোর প্রাণ।
ও পারেতে সোনার কূলে আঁধারমূলে কোন্ মায়া
গেয়ে গেল কাজ-ভাঙানো গান।
নামিয়ে মুখ চুকিয়ে সুখ যাবার মুখে যায় যারা
ফেরার পথে ফিরেও নাহি চায়,
তাদের পানে ভাঁটার টানে যাব রে আজ ঘরছাড়া–
সন্ধ্যা আসে দিন যে চলে যায়।
ওরে আয়
আমায় নিয়ে যাবি কে রে
দিনশেষের শেষ খেয়ায়।
সাঁজের বেলা ভাঁটার স্রোতে ও পার হতে একটানা
একটি-দুটি যায় যে তরী ভেসে।
কেমন করে চিনব ওরে ওদের মাঝে কোন্খান
আমার ঘাটে ছিল আমার দেশে।
অস্তাচলে তীরের তলে ঘন গাছের কোল ঘেঁষে
ছায়ায় যেন ছায়ার মতো যায়,
ডাকলে আমি ক্ষণেক থামি হেথায় পাড়ি ধরবে সে
এমন নেয়ে আছে রে কোন্ নায়।
ওরে আয় আমায় নিয়ে যাবি কে রে দিনশেষের শেষ খেয়ায়।
ঘরেই যারা যাবার তারা কখন গেছে ঘরপানে,
পারে যারা যাবার গেছে পারে;
ঘরেও নহে, পারেও নহে, যে জন আছে মাঝখানে
সন্ধ্যাবেলা কে ডেকে নেয় তারে।
ফুলের বার নাইকো আর, ফসল যার ফলল না–
চোখের জল ফেলতে হাসি পায়–
দিনের আলো যার ফুরালো, সাঁজের আলো জ্বলল না,
সেই বসেছে ঘাটের কিনারায়।
ওরে আয় আমায় নিয়ে যাবি কে রে
বেলাশেষের শেষ খেয়ায়।
English translation:
The veiled shadow of the dying day
Embraces the land of slumber
Enthralling my heart
The illusory golden shore of the distant misty bank
Sings a song of the end of toil
At the closure of the day.
Heads lowered, merriment over, those at the departing time
Do not turn around on their journey back.
Drawn by the waning tide I’ll unite with them leaving this abode
As evening settles, the day passes by.
Oh! come
To take me away
At the day’s end, by the last boat.
By the evening tide from the further bank
By the fading light
Has a boat left for me?
With the setting sun, near the shore in the shade of the dense forest
Like a silhouette I see them row
Should I call, will he reply?
Is there someone who will oblige?
Oh! come
To take me away
At the day’s end, by the last boat.
Those leaving for home are long gone
Those left for the shore have long reached
Neither at shore nor at home, the one in between
Who will take him away when the dusk falls?
No flowers to offer, the crops have failed
He who laughs on the verge of tears (fate)
For him, the daylight is over and the night has no twilight glow
He’s the solitary one sitting on the bank.
Oh! come
To take me away
At the day’s end, by the last boat
Some useful information:
Written in: August 1905
Age of the poet: 44
Published in: Kheya (October 1924)
Parjaay (Category): NA
Upa-parjaay (Sub-category): NA
Taal: Dadra
Raga: NA
Notation: NA
Swarabitan: NA
Composed by: Pankaj Kr. Mullick
Purpose of the presentation
Tagore’s music resonates with people from all walks of life. His songs are performed at cultural events, religious ceremonies and social gatherings, reflecting their enduring popularity. In an effort to bring home this treasure trove to the non-Bengali population and Bengalis around the globe, Brainware University offers a selection of Rabindra sangeet in this presentation. It is enriched with details on the songs and relevant anecdotes.
Sung By
Sri Phalguni Mookhopadhayay Chancellor, Brainware University Phalguni Mookhopadhayay is the founder-Chancellor of Brainware University, founder-Chairman and Managing-Director of Brainware Consultancy Private Limited and founder-Chairman of Webguru Infosystems Private Limited. He did his schooling at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur, and graduated with honours in Economics from St Xavier’s College, Kolkata. He completed his masters in Economics from Calcutta University and MBA from IISWBM, before joining Hindustan Lever as a management trainee. He worked as a market planner for the ABP group for nearly a decade before striking out on his own and successfully launching two private limited companies and one University. Phalguni Mookhopadhayay is a self-taught digital artist, a versatile photographer, a filmmaker and a weekend singer who has already recorded 78 songs and is now immersed in a project to popularise Tagore songs among a global audience.
