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The sleep that flits on baby's eyes - does anybody know from where it comes? Yes, there is a rumour that it has its dwelling where, in the fairy village among shadows of the forest dimly lit with glow-worms, there hang two timid buds of enchantment. From there it comes to kiss baby's eyes.
The smile that flickers on baby's lips when he sleeps - does anybody know where it was born? Yes, there is a rumour that a young pale beam of a crescent moon touched the edge of a vanishing autumn cloud, and there the smile was first born in the dream of a dew-washed morning - the smile that flickers on baby's lips when he sleeps.
The sweet, soft freshness that blooms on baby's limbs - does anybody know where it was hidden so long? Yes, when the mother was a young girl it lay pervading her heart in tender and silent mystery of love - the sweet, soft freshness that has bloomed on baby's limbs.
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| Gitanjali Poem no. 61 |
Summary
The lyric is sweet, charming and as innocent as a child. The theme of lyric is again the same as that of an earlier one. Poet is again lost in the beauty and delicacies of childhood. The poet is asking if anyone knows from where the sleep that plays briefly on the face of the child comes. He answers himself that this magic sleep has come from the fairy village among shadows of the forest which is lighted by the light of glow warms. The smile that plays upon his lips is not ordinary smile. It comes to him from the beautiful golden rays that have touched and irradiated some autumn cloud, which appears all the more beautiful in the light of day-dawn.
Similarly the tenderness of child's limbs which is like a soft and beautiful flower is a gift of its mother, which come from her heart when she was a girl and was full of sweet and tender love.
Critical Analysis
The song is again in a praising tone where the charm of childhood is in the limelight. Through the lines of lyric the childhood is so elevated which is otherwise not noted by everyone. The delicate, carefree sleep, the charming, pleasant smile and tenderness of the limbs are like the ornaments of poet's poem. The beautiful smiles which are charming, apt, suggestive and imaginative are an expression of the romantic strain of a romantic poet.
Annotations
Flits: moves on and off. Enchantment: magic spell. Flickers: shines unsteadily. Crescent: curved. Vanishing: disappearing Pervading: living within Tender: affectionate.