According to the eminent Rabindrasangeet exponent, Shailajaranajan Majumdar, in the year 1937 or 1938, Gurudev organised Barshamangal on the Chhaya stage with singing troupes from Kolkata and Santiniketan. The hall was huge; needless to say, there were no microphones. During stage rehearsals, it was discovered that the solo renditions were not audible at the back of the hall. It was then decided that the scale would be raised for the song. There was another problem with that. Uma Basu, who was singing Mone ki didha as a solo, could not make her voice reach the pitch when she sang the ‘viday kaley’ part towards the end of the song. Then Gurudev sang that part without changing the tune but on a lower scale. This production was witnessed by the renowned Bengali writer Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, who observed in his autobiography Amar Sahitya Jiban how Tagore himself had asked him to attend the programme.
Lyrics:
মনে কী দ্বিধা রেখে গেলে চলে সে দিন ভরা সাঁঝে,
যেতে যেতে দুয়ার হতে কী ভেবে ফিরালে মুখখানি–
কী কথা ছিল যে মনে॥
তুমি সে কি হেসে গেলে আঁখিকোণে–
আমি বসে বসে ভাবি নিয়ে কম্পিত হৃদয়খানি,
তুমি আছ দূর ভুবনে॥
আকাশে উড়িছে বকপাঁতি,
বেদনা আমার তারি সাথি।
বারেক তোমায় শুধাবারে চাই বিদায়কালে কী বল নাই,
সে কি রয়ে গেল গো সিক্ত যূথীর গন্ধবেদনে॥
English translation:
In what uncertain frame of mind did you leave at twilight?
You paused at the door and looked back,
What words did you leave unspoken?
Out of the corner of your eye you seemed to smile,
I sit and wonder with a trembling heart,
You are in a distant land.
A flock of cranes soar through the sky,
My pain keeps them company.
I feel an incessant urge to ask you
What words you left unsaid while leaving.
Do they linger like the fragrance of moist blossoms?
Some useful information:
Written in: 1937
Age of the poet: 76
Published in: Prabashi Magazine, 1937.
Parjaay (Category): Prem (Love)
Upa-parjaay (Sub-category): Bichitra (Miscellaneous)
Taal: 2+2 Rhythm
Raga: Yaman (Iman) Kalyan
Notation: Swarabitan
Swarabitan: Vol. 58
Notation by: Shailajaranjan Majumdar
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 Rabindrasangeet 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.
