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When the heart is hard and parched up, come upon me with a shower of mercy.
When grace is lost from life, come with a burst of song.
When tumultuous work raises its din on all sides shutting me out from beyond, come to me, my lord of silence, with thy peace and rest.
When my beggarly heart sits crouched, shut up in a corner, break open the door, my king, and come with the ceremony of a king.
When desire blinds the mind with delusion and dust, thou holy one, thou wakeful, come with thy light and thy thunder.
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| Gitanjali Poem no. 39 |
Summary
Again, Tagore prays for divine inspiration in this poem and calls upon God to bless him, to shower his love upon him. The poet prays to God that God blesses him with a shower of mercy when his heart become hard, cruel and dry of all charm. And when all charm is lost from life he calls upon God to come with a song as a sudden inspiration. He prays also that when his life was disturbed by violent commotion and loud annoying noises on all sides, to come to him and bring silence, peace and rest.
When the poet's poor heart, sits close to the ground, locked up in a corner then he calls upon God to come to him, forcing open his door like a king for God was his king and master. And finally, Tagore calls upon God to come to him with thunder and lightening and wake him up when his worldly desires had thrown him into hazy confusion. The thunder would warn the poet and then His lightening would throw light and enlighten the poet.
Critical Analysis
In this poem Tagore continues his prayer to God for divine enlightenment and inspiration. In the first line he compares himself to hard and parched land and God's merey to a shower of rain that shall come and give relief by bringing love and mercy as rain brings relief to a drought affected area. Then, he compares God's grace to a burst of song that instantly brings a smile and happiness to man. Tagore glorifies God as that supreme power that can bring peace and rest even in the midst of loud noisy sounds and violet commotion. Then God is the king and Tagore is the poor beggar and he begs God to come to him with all the ceremony, pomp and splendour of a king and take him from the dark corner where he sat huddled. This shall bring him to his heart. Finally, he compares the worldly desire to dust that envelopes, darkens and therefore creates confusion and God's mercy to lightening and thunder. The lightening shall bring light brightening his mind and the sound of thunder would awake him from his confusion. The imagery is apt for rain would definitely wash away dust and clear the sky. Thus, Tagore beautifully expresses his religious feelings.
"When the heart is hard and parched up, come upon me with a shower of merey, when grace is lost from life, come with burst of song.When tumultuous work raises its din on all sides shutting me out from beyond, come to me, my lord of silence, with thy peace and res."
The poet prays further for God's shower of mercy when his heart is devoid of spiritual strength, and is crouched and cramped like a terror-stricken animal. He should come to him with all his royal dignity and uplift and strengthen him. He should teach him the lesson of courage under all circumstances. He prays for His mighty sweetness of divine melody when beauty and nobility will leave him. He needs the peace and rest for his soul when the hectic activity of life, bustle, its ares and worries perplex him.
The lyric is a prayer of needy man who begs for the warmth and care of his Father and whose parched up heart is craving for spiritual courage and mind needs the peace.
Annotation
Heart is hard: unrelenting. Parched up: dry, lacking in softness. Grace: charm. Tumultuous: noisy, violent commotion, Din : loud, annoying noise. Beggarly heart: poor heart. Crouched: to sit low near the ground. Delusion and dust: haziness, confusion. Light and thy thunder: God's light and thunder would wake him from his desires and give him light.