Taal Gachh, The Palm Tree, Tagore’s Poem
Taal Gachh the Palm Tree, this is the first poem of Rabindranath Tagore that I had learned by heart as a child. When I heard the poem for the first time, I was struck by the imagination that: even trees have feelings!
As a child I had several questions about the poem which were satiated by my mother with her creative answers.
Central Idea of the Poem
The palm tree, which is considered as the tallest tree wants to fly higher like the clouds. The tree imagines its big round leaves to be its wings. In the end however it is content to be with land which it considers to be its mother!
The essence is so sweet; words are simple and have a beautiful lyrical flow. Each of us must have felt the urge to fly in the sky at some point in our lives. So does trees, that stand at just one point for their whole life!
Palm Tree in Shantiniketan
When I toured Shantiniketan, I least expected to see the taal gachh, the palm tree that inspired Tagore to write the poem. The guide pointed out this tree to us. (Though I found it hard to believe it is 100 years old and I controlled my urge to calculate the years with the guide.) It seemed to be well taken care with a small hut around it.
Shantiniketan is full of such spots which inspired Tagore to write different poems. I don’t have the courage or capability to translate Tagore’s poem, but I tried to give the word meanings of each line. Please pardon me for the faults and I hope you will be able to connect.
Taal Gachh, The Palm Tree
(The poem) / word meaning
Taal gach ek paye dariye / on one leg stands the palm tree
Sob gach chariye / overshooting all trees
Uki mare aakashe / peeping over the sky
Mone sadh kalo megh fure jaye / wishing in mind… to float like black clouds,
Ekebare ure jaye – / and keep flying
Kotha pabe pakha se / where will it(tree) get the wings
Taito se thik taar mathate / that is why it (right on its head)
Gol gol pata te / on round round leaves
Ichhati mele taar / spreads its desire
Mone mone bhabe bujhi dane ei / In its mind it thinks, these are its wings
Ude jete mana nei / nothing can stop it from flying
Bashakhani phele taar / leaving its home behind
Saradin jhor-jhor …tho-thor…. / whole day (sounds of quivering of leaves)
kanpe pata pottor… / the leaves shiver
ure jano jabe o / as if it will fly away
Mone mone akashete beriye… / imagining in its mind its flight in the sky
tarader eriye / crossing over the stars
jeno kotha jabe o… / with intentions of arriving somewhere
Tarpore hawa jei neme jay… / then as soon as the wind stops blowing
pata kanpa theme jay… / leaves stop shivering
phere tar monti / flight of its mind returns to land
Jei bhabe Ma je hoy mati tar… / just as this land is its mother
bhalo lage aarbar… / loves the surroundings
prithibir konti… / in this corner of earth
For those of you who can read Bengali, here is the Taal Gaach poem in its original form.
Also read: Doodling Art by Rabindranath Tagore – Doodled Fancy
My visit to: Jorasanko Thakurbari, where Rabindranath Tagore was born and his karmabhoomi, Shantiniketan.
Rabindranath Tagore got the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.
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Ya Tagore’s imagination always leaves me spellbound .
wonderful, thank you
Beautiful poem and I believe it's totally possible that trees have feelings.
Bengali indeed is a beautiful language. By translating this poem, you have done a great job of sharing this beautiful poem with people like me.
Beautiful thoughts
That is indeed a beautiful (and well-translated, since I felt its meaning) poem, and I love the photo.
I actually hadn't read the poem before and so I really enjoyed reading it the first time! You did a pretty good job and the translation!
Only, isn't 'ekebaare' mean in an instant or at once?
Roshni
http://www.indianamericanmom.com
Wonderful poem and photograph.
Beautiful Indrani, a lovely poem and one I enjoyed very, very much. Thank you! Great post!
Thank you for this beautiful translation…you've made my day! 😀
Your mix of photo and words have passed on to us the essence of the poem's meaning – thank you!
Lovely Post beautiful Poem. . .
Wonderful shot of that tall palm tree. Thanks for sharing.
So beautiful, Indrani!
Love it very much…
Warm greetings, Anna :))
Beautiful poem and photo!
Beautiful poem and a lovely tree. Have a happy weekend!
Amazing poem, cheers Indrani.
Beautifully translated the poem! Quite inspiring… Interesting how they built the hut around the tree. Great tribute!
Shantiniketan and Tagore have always fascinated me and it was so beautiful to know the meaning of this poem.
I love it. Thanks for translating. Next time I look up at our many palm trees, I will think of this poem.
Thank You, Indrani, for opening up the full beauty for us!
ALOHA from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
=^..^= <3
Das ist ein wunderschönes Gedicht liebe Indrani. Danke fürs Teilen. Du kanst stolz sein, dieses Gedicht als Kind gelenrnt haben zu dürfen…
Umarmung und Grüsse aus der Schweiz
Hans-Peter
what a beautiful post. what a wonderful poem.
that is beautiful.