Renowned Rabindra sangeet exponent Shailajaranjan Majumdar, in his memoir Jaatra Pather Ananda Gaan, says that one evening he was teaching “Saghana Gahana Ratri ” to the students in the presence of Tagore. When all the students had left after their lessons, Tagore told Majumdar, “The way you teach them the songs, the way you tease them, they will definitely run away one day. It seems that you are a sanitary inspector!” His comment reflected what a perfectionist Rabindranath was regarding the rendition of songs composed by him.
Lyrics:
সঘন গহন রাত্রি, ঝরিছে শ্রাবণধারা–
অন্ধ বিভাবরী সঙ্গপরশহারা ॥
চেয়ে থাকি যে শূন্যে অন্যমনে
সেথায় বিরহিণীর অশ্রু হরণ করেছে ওই তারা ॥
অশত্থপল্লবে বৃষ্টি ঝরিয়া মর্মরশব্দে
নিশীথের অনিদ্রা দেয় যে ভরিয়া।
মায়ালোক হতে ছায়াতরণী
ভাসায় স্বপ্নপারাবারে–
নাহি তার কিনারা ॥
English translation:
In the darkest of nights, the monsoon downpour holds sway
The blinded night is bereft of warmth,
Distracted, I stare into the distant horizon
Where an estranged lover’s tears are taken away by the stars
The leaves of the aswatha (peepul) tree rustle as the raindrops fall on them
Filling the void of the night’s sleeplessness
A spectral boat floats in from the world of illusions
And moves along an endless ocean of dreams…
Some useful information:
Written in: 1939
Age of the poet: 78
Published in: 1939 Parjaay (Category): Prakriti (Nature)
Upa-parjaay (Sub-category): Barsha (Monsoon)
Taal: Kaharba
Raga: Mixed Bageshri-Mallar
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 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.
