(From the previous continuation)
Now, let us discuss Rabindranath, the king of poets as a poet of love. Usually poets are worshippers of love. In this connection, Rabindranath, chief among the poets in the domain of poetry was not an exception. The subject matters of many of his poems are “love”. In many cases, his thoughts and ideas in the poems were based on love. His poems and songs are devoid of vulgarity. In his poetry book 'Kori O Komol', deep love has been expressed, as if his latent love has arisen in this youth because of the touch of the golden stick. The poet has attained the stage of the bloom of youth. He became enamoured of love. So, the poet expressed:
Amar jauban sapne jeno chheye achhe bishwer akash
(As if my youthful dreamy image overwhelming the sky gaily!)
The painful passions that occur in men in the prime of life mainly for women, and the love and beauty that arise in the youthful stage of men are found to be based on women. This special auspicious moment of time of life and youth in the eye of men and women is breathtakingly beautiful and pleasant. This is what is called the characteristic of the youth of men. The poet felt that the surroundings around him became womanly. He even felt the touch of beautiful women, when there was actually the touch of natural flowers on him. From this feeling the poet in his poem ‘Gitoschhas’ (Outburst of singing spring song) wrote:
Nirob bashori-khani bejechhe abar
Priar barota bujhi esechhe amar
Basanta-kanan majhe basanta samire
(The silent flute blows its notes
with the message of the darling
breaching the silence, whistling
in the garden of the spring
and the spring air starts blowing!)
In the poet’s depiction and pen picture of the beauty of women bodies, there is neither indecency nor obscenity, there is neither any vulgar sensual enjoyment nor any craving for worldly pleasure nor had even any arduous endeavour (The sweetheart) to obtain pleasure. The poet delineated with graceful style the particular organs of women body as an object of attraction of beauty. The poet in his poetry book 'Manosi' has marked and observed a new form of beauty. He got an opportunity of meeting his spiritual lover for a short time, and then separation took place. After separation, the poet remained in meditation for his spiritual lover. The poet did not desire for parting from his lover, but he desired to have reunion with his spiritual lover. The poet thought or believed:
Anurag ghotay premer unmesh, birohe ase upolabdhi, Ebong milone ase premer sartakotha.
(Revelation of love outbursts in the making of love but the separation insists that love is glorious of all above. As soon as the lovers’ contact is sublime, the union of love comes true to their dream.)
He felt that men were not created only to satisfy the sensual and worldly enjoyments, nor women were created for the enjoyment of sensual pleasures of love. We find the reflection of this kind of mentality in his poem 'Nisfal Kamana' (The fruitless desire) of the poetry book 'Manoshi'. The poet quotes:
Khuda metabar khadyo nohe je manob
Keho nohe tomar amar... Bhalobaso, preme hao boli Cheona tahare.
(It’s not the provision of hunger, O Man!
None of you and I can claim it as anyone’s own!
Better love and give up yourself to love.
Not to ask for anything more than above.)
We find that the poet endeavoured to determine the right and deep nature of love. We find in the poem 'Nari Ukti' (Woman speaks) of the poetry book 'Manosi' the poet expressed women’s love for men, and commented:
Buk fete keno oshru pore
Tobuo ki bujhite parona?
Tarkete bujhibe ta ki? Ei muchhilam akhi
E shudho chokher jol, e nohe bhartsona
(Why tears burst out of the heart?
Can’t you understand that as yet?
What can you understand in debate?
Just I weep out my tears from the eyes.
It’s simply tears of eyes, it’s not reproaches.)
Correspondingly, the poet expressed the love of men for women in the poem 'Munisher Ukti' (Man speaks) of the same poetry book. Here, the poet expressed his feelings as:
Patropuspo groho-tara bhora
Tumi tari majkhane ki murti akile prane-
Ki lolat, ki noyon, ki shanto adhor
Tire ami daraiya sourave akul
(The sky is full of stars and planets
While the earth is full of leaves and flowers
Where you simply enliven the statue at heart!
What the forehead, the eyes, and the calm lips!
While I am on the bank standing
overwhelmed with fragrance!)
The poet in his poem 'Manas-sundari' (Beauty of Love) of 'Sonar Tori' (Golden Boat) poetry book depicted and represented the ideal of mankind and the nature of the world through women and the poet understood that in his life. The poet sought for deep union and love with the sweetheart of fancy (with the women conceived in his mind). He expressed with his restlessness in order to take various tests of love. He called upon his ladylove to fill his life with pleasantries, embraces, kisses and songs. In addition, the poet is very eager to see his sweetheart of fancy in a visible or tangible form and image.
The poet thinks that love gives men honour, glory, courage and strength. The power of love is so unlimited that it can make the impossible possible, and can make the distant relatives to be close ones. He in his poem 'Premer Abhishek' (Coronation of Love) in the poetry book 'Chitra' narrated:
Tumi more korechho samrat,
Tumi more porayechho gourab mukut;
Puspodore sajiechho kontho mor
Tobo rajtika dipichhe lolat majhe
Mahima shikha aharnishi.
(You have made me the emperor.
You have crowned me with glory..
You have dressed me with flowers.
Your royal crown is glowing on my forehead.
And that glorious flame
of fire is burning day and night.)
Moreover, we get further say of the poet in his poem 'Santona' (Solace) in the poetry book 'Chitra' Here, the main point of the poet is that a ladylove for her undying and selfless genuine love can sacrifice any interest and gain, and this sacrifice is possible only for true and pure love. Love makes a man liberal and removes the narrowness of mind and teaches to share the sorrow and suffering of lover or the ladylove. The poet again says:
Nirobe loibo prane tomar hridoy hote nirob bedona
(Hence, I shall take silent sorrow of your heart silently to my heart.)
(To be continued)
The writer is a former Joint Secretary to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and regular contributor to Bangladesh Post