I walk in Solitude, speak to myself..

My Performance in standard 4th- I translated the “Aekla Chalo Re” and performed in school Function. My partner was one Anshu Bhowmich from standard 5th

I had translated the famous Rabindra Sangeet Score- Aekla Chalo Re. Walk alone you Loner… in Hindi, in 5^th standard. It was for a performance with the theme of National Integration. Since then, I was known as the “Aekla Chalo Re girl” in school. During the House activity period, teachers of the other houses would call for me and make me sing the original Bangla track that I had learnt from dad.

Little did I know that I was singing the song that was to become my forte, very soon… I didn’t get deep into the meaning of the song then. Teachers would ask me if that meant that lets walk together, I would tell them that it meant just the opposite. I don’t remember her name but do remember how she looked. She was in Neptune House, I was in Uranus; she would make me sing in her English period often.

Years rolled by and I got admitted in Lady Irwin School. Even though the majority of the students and teachers were Bengali; I never got to “sing” this song again. I was already living it.  My extra- curricular activities came to a stand still and so did my childhood innocence. One after the other, the typical instances kept me involved and I was so engrossed in resolving the maze that time had thrown me in, little did I realized that the score was becoming the essence of my life.

Today, I am proud to announce that I have survived..!! Yes, things may not be still very conducive yet; I am satisfied that I evoluted in the process. In 2005, Himanshu asked me if I still sang the song- I had merrily forgotten that I did use to. We got in touch with each other after about 7 odd years. Not that we were in touch before that; somehow, I managed to crawl into his space after every few years. By this pattern, yet another bump is awaited soon.

The song, its meaning and its very essence is how I have become.

Just how many of us can take pride in declaring that it’s a Rabindra Sangeet Verse that could define their understanding of life and personal experiences??

I can..!!

It’s this song that did not let me conk off and made me live through yet another birth, where I walk Alone, speak to myself and lit my heart to lighten up my space…

Many Happy Returns of the Day, Kaveendra. May you continue to shine as an Artist more than only as a Poet..!!

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The Song

Image and Bottom Writeup- http://www.calcuttaweb.com

Jodi tor đak shune keu na ashe tôbe êkla chôlo re,
Êkla chôlo, êkla chôlo, êkla chôlo, êkla chôlo re.

Jodi keu kôtha na kôe, ore ore o ôbhaga,
Jodi shôbai thake mukh firaee shôbai kôre bhôe—
Tôbe pôran khule
O tui mukh fuţe tor moner kôtha êkla bôlo re.

Jodi shôbai fire jae, ore ore o ôbhaga,
Jodi gôhon pôthe jabar kale keu fire na chae—
Tôbe pôther kãţa
O tui rôktomakha chôrontôle êkla dôlo re.

Jodi alo na dhôre, ore ore o ôbhaga,
Jodi jhôŗ-badole ãdhar rate duar dêe ghôre—
Tôbe bojranôle
Apon buker pãjor jalie nie êkla jôlo re.

Tagore’s English translation

If they answer not to thy call walk alone,
If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall,
O thou of evil luck,
open thy mind and speak out alone.

If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness,
O thou of evil luck,
trample the thorns under thy tread,
and along the blood-lined track travel alone.

If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm,
O thou of evil luck,
with the thunder flame of pain ignite thy own heart
and let it burn alone.

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Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate poet, writer, philosopher was the ambassador of Indian culture to the rest of the world. He is probably the most prominent figure in the cultural world of Indian subcontinent and the first Asian person to be awarded with the Nobel prize. Even though he is mainly known as a poet, his multifaceted talent showered upon different branches of art, such as, novels, short stories, dramas, articles, essays, painting etc. And his songs, popularly known as Rabindrasangeet, have an eternal appeal and is permanently placed in the heart of the Bengalis. He was a social reformer, patriot and above all, a great humanitarian and philosopher. India and Bangladesh – the national anthems of these two countries are taken from his composition.