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I know not from what distant time thou art ever coming nearer to meet me. Thy sun and stars can never keep thee hidden from me for aye.
In many a morning and eve thy footsteps have been heard and thy messenger has come within my heart and called me in secret.
I know not why to-day my life is all astir, and a feeling of tremulous joy is passing through my heart.
It is as if the time were come to wind up my work, and I feel in the air a faint smell of thy sweet presence.
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| Gitanjali Poem no. 46 |
Summary
The concept of God's all encompassing presence is again discussed in this poem. He says, that he doesn't know since when God has been coming to him and he says that all of the God's great creation such as the sun and the stars shall not be impediments or obstacles blocking his view of God.
In many mornings and evenings the poet has heard God's footsteps and even God's messenger has come within his heart and conferred God's message of union, in secret. Then the poet says that he doesn't know why he is very excited this day, his heart is experiencing a tremendous joy and excitement. It seems to the poet that it is now time to conclude his work and he feels that God's sweet fragrance is in the air.
Critical Analysis
Again, Tagore repeats the theme from the poem immediately preceding. Tagore is again discussing how God comes to his devotees all the time, everywhere. Rather than the devotee searching for God, the idea that Tagore emphatically states is that God is always with man, he always was and shall be at every moment of time and space. This is in accordance with the Hindu religious thinking that to search for God is vain, look within oneself, you shall find God there. Tagore also expresses the greatness of God the creator of all nature saying that his great creations such as the sun and the stars shall not throw a veil of confusion over his eyes, hiding his presence. The poet has heard God calling to him many times. He has experienced great pleasure and happiness and he has felt that he should finish his work in order to come into God's presence. The idea conveyed being that man needs to give up worldly attachment for a communion With God.
"I know not from what distant time thou art ever coming to meet me. Thy sun and stars can never keep thee hidden from me for aye."
This is a poem where flourishes the doctrine of humanism at its peak. The poet here expresses the importance or rather the greatness of man. The poet believes that God is expressed through man. It is not only man who want to meet Him but He too needs man's love, care and affection as the Hinduism takes in another way that the worship and devotion of man increases God's power. But Tagore interprets it in another way, he accepts that when God were alone, He could not see Himself. Now both man and God have some aspirations from the another. When there was no man, world of God was not expressed. Man came and the creation at once found its meaning. So it is not the man who is again and again taking birth for his perfection to meet his lover but, at the same time, from eternal time God is coming nearer to man for meeting him. And the sun and the stars cant hide Him from man, on the other hand, these are His gifts to mortal. He had lighted all the lights of sun, moon and the stars for seeing man.
Annotation
Thy sun and stars... hidden: Man shall not mistake God's great creation for God himself. For aye: for ever. Astir: in excited motion. Tremendous joy: a joy that leaves the poet quivering in his heart.