Hemendrakumar Roy, who witnessed an incident, writes: “It seems to have been the first year of Mansi magazine. One afternoon I was sitting at the house of the poet Jatindramohan Bagchi when poet Satyendranath Dutt came and informed me that after half past five that day a famous Muslim musicologist would be performing at the University Institute. I think his name was Imdad Ali Khan. At the end of the meeting, Rabindranath got up and went to order the meeting closed. But he could not do it. The crowd shouted in unison: ‘We will listen to your song.’ It was impossible to ignore the appeal of that collective voice. I can still see that smile of his even today! Seated on a chair he sang without the aid of any musical instrument the song Tumi kemon kore gaan koro hey Guni. It was a large assembly, he was singing without any accompaniment, but the enraptured audience sat like a still painting.’ Although it is said that the song was created on the spur of the moment as a tribute to a musical genius, there is no proof of that. Tagore’s biographer Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay writes: “Many people have expressed strange opinions about this song.”
Lyrics:
তুমি কেমন করে গান কর হে গুণী,
অবাক হয়ে শুনি, কেবল শুনি।
সুরের আলো ভুবন ফেলে ছেয়ে,
সুরের হাওয়া চলে গগন বেয়ে,
পাষাণ টুটে ব্যাকুল বেগে ধেয়ে,
বহিয়া যায় সুরের সুরধুনী।
মনে করি অমনি সুরে গাই,
কণ্ঠে আমার সুর খুঁজে না পাই।
কইতে কী চাই, কইতে কথা বাধে;
হার মেনে যে পরান আমার কাঁদে;
আমায় তুমি ফেলেছ কোন্ ফাঁদে
চৌদিকে মোর সুরের জাল বুনি!
English translation (Translated by Rabindranath Tagore):
I know not how thou singest, my master!
I ever listen in silent amazement.
The light of thy music illumines the world.
The life breath of thy music runs from sky to sky.
The holy stream of thy music breaks through all stony obstacles
and rushes on.
My heart longs to join in thy song,
but vainly struggles for a voice.
I would speak, but speech breaks not into song,
and I cry out baffled.
Ah, thou hast made my heart captive
in the endless meshes of thy music, my master!
Some useful information:
Written on: August 26, 1909, at Bolpur
Age of the poet: 48
Published in: Gitanjali (1910)
Parjaay (Category): Puja (Worship)
Upa-parjaay (Sub-category): Gaan (Song)
Taal: Kaharba
Raga: Mixed Khamaj
Notation: Music Gitanjali
Swarabitan: Vol. 38
Notation by: Bhimrao Shastri
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.
