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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!
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| Gitanjali Poem no. 3 |
Summary
The poet wonders and questions how God, his lord, sings. He is amazed and he listens to God's song and is rendered speechless. The light of this divine music illuminates and brightens the whole world. God's music is life generating and imparts this life breath all over the world spreading from one end of the sky to another. God's song is holy and divine and brooks no obstacles, it rushes in regardless of all stones baring his way. In his heart the poet wishes to join the lord and sing along but he cannot find his voice. When he does and speaks he finds that he cannot sing. His words do not break into song and this puzzles him and he cries out in bewildered confusion. And then the poet says that he has been trapped and made captive in the endless net thrown by God's music.
Critical Analysis
Tagore looks at God as a great musician, a skilled master who creates melodious music even out of jarring and harsh notes. He attempts in vain to find out how God sings. Tagore sings glorious praise of God's music. It is a music that renders him speechless and such glorious music that it brightens the whole world. In fact it breaths life into every part of the world from end to end. Nothing can bar its movement of illumination, it is an irresistible force. Finally, Tagore pays encomium to God's music saying that, His music is so beautiful that he longs to sing along with God, but as previously he had been speechless, now he struggles to find his voice and when he does he finds that he cannot sing. At this the poet is immensely puzzled and cries out to God that he is trapped in the web of his music. The encomium he pays to God's music is a beautiful tribute. The poem itself is an eloquent testimony to God's glory and the power of his music. The terms and image is reminiscent of Lord Krishna and the music of his flute.
"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 strong obstacles and rushes on."
God, the great musician illumines the whole world with its music of love, affection, and care for His creation. His love in guise of sweet music is limitless, boundless as the infinite sky and Himself. This divine music flows from Infinite to finite and fills whole the creation with heavenly truth, spiritual knowledge and eternal truth, and eternal light. The sacred music is like a swiftly flowing stream whose path cannot be barred by any stony obstacle. The holy stream of His love rushes on overcoming all obstacles. Even the stones are moved by it.
The imagery here is synaesthetic i.e. one sense is spoken of in terms of another. This music (sound) pertaining to the ear is likened to light pertaining to the eye. The image is audio-visual. The divine music is here compared to light, life-breath and a strong current of water.
"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."
The poet yearns to imitate God and sing with Him. But he cannot do so. His heart strongly desires to break into song in accompaniment. He is so charmed by divine music that he loses his own voice. He cries out in extreme dismay and bewilderment. The poet is also a singer, but he feels insignificant in comparison with the great singer of the music Human insignificance and imperfection as compared to the divine is then brought out. The poet like to become one with God, but he cannot do so because he is entrapped in this world or Maya which is the endless music of God. The sweet harmony of God's music is constantly sounded through the universe, and the poet is held captive by it. He listens to it with rapturous joy, and cannot free himself from its meshes.
Annotation
I know not how thou singest: O God, what is the secret of your inimitable mastery over songs?
Thy music illumines: God's music is such that it brings light and life and vitality into the world I cry out baffled: puzzled that he cannot join God in his song.