Bhola Nath, a bright fourteen-year-old lad at my Ranchi school, gave me this explanation after I had complimented him one morning on his melodious1 outbursts. With or without provocation2, the boy poured forth3 a tuneful stream. He had previously4 attended the famous Tagore school of "Santiniketan" (Haven of Peace) at Bolpur.
"The songs of Rabindranath have been on my lips since early youth," I told my companion. "All Bengal, even the unlettered peasants, delights in his lofty verse."
Bhola and I sang together a few refrains from Tagore, who has set to music thousands of Indian poems, some original and others of hoary5 antiquity6.
"I met Rabindranath soon after he had received the Nobel Prize for literature," I remarked after our vocalizing. "I was drawn7 to visit him because I admired his undiplomatic courage in disposing of his literary critics." I chuckled8.
"The scholars severely10 flayed11 Tagore for introducing a new style into Bengali poetry," I began. "He mixed colloquial12 and classical expressions, ignoring all the prescribed limitations dear to the pundits13' hearts. His songs embody14 deep philosophic15 truth in emotionally appealing terms, with little regard for the accepted literary forms.
"One influential16 critic slightingly referred to Rabindranath as a 'pigeon-poet who sold his cooings in print for a rupee.' But Tagore's revenge was at hand; the whole Western world paid homage17 at his feet soon after he had translated into English his Gitanjali ("Song Offerings"). A trainload of pundits, including his one-time critics, went to Santiniketan to offer their congratulations.
"Rabindranath received his guests only after an intentionally18 long delay, and then heard their praise in stoic19 silence. Finally he turned against them their own habitual20 weapons of criticism.
"'Gentlemen,' he said, 'the fragrant21 honors you here bestow22 are incongruously mingled23 with the putrid24 odors of your past contempt. Is there possibly any connection between my award of the Nobel Prize, and your suddenly acute powers of appreciation25? I am still the same poet who displeased26 you when I first offered my humble27 flowers at the shrine28 of Bengal.'
"The newspapers published an account of the bold chastisement29 given by Tagore. I admired the outspoken30 words of a man unhypnotized by flattery," I went on. "I was introduced to Rabindranath in Calcutta by his secretary, Mr. C. F. Andrews, 29-1 who was simply attired32 in a Bengali dhoti. He referred lovingly to Tagore as his gurudeva.
"Rabindranath received me graciously. He emanated33 a soothing34 aura of charm, culture, and courtliness. Replying to my question about his literary background, Tagore told me that one ancient source of his inspiration, besides our religious epics35, had been the classical poet, Bidyapati."
Inspired by these memories, I began to sing Tagore's version of an old Bengali song, "Light the Lamp of Thy Love." Bhola and I chanted joyously37 as we strolled over the Vidyalaya grounds.
About two years after founding the Ranchi school, I received an invitation from Rabindranath to visit him at Santiniketan in order to discuss our educational ideals. I went gladly. The poet was seated in his study when I entered; I thought then, as at our first meeting, that he was as striking a model of superb manhood as any painter could desire. His beautifully chiseled39 face, nobly patrician40, was framed in long hair and flowing beard. Large, melting eyes; an angelic smile; and a voice of flutelike quality which was literally41 enchanting42. Stalwart, tall, and grave, he combined an almost womanly tenderness with the delightful43 spontaneity of a child. No idealized conception of a poet could find more suitable embodiment than in this gentle singer.
Tagore and I were soon deep in a comparative study of our schools, both founded along unorthodox lines. We discovered many identical features-outdoor instruction, simplicity44, ample scope for the child's creative spirit. Rabindranath, however, laid considerable stress on the study of literature and poetry, and the self-expression through music and song which I had already noted45 in the case of Bhola. The Santiniketan children observed periods of silence, but were given no special yoga training.
The poet listened with flattering attention to my description of the energizing46 "Yogoda" exercises and the yoga concentration techniques which are taught to all students at Ranchi.
Tagore told me of his own early educational struggles. "I fled from school after the fifth grade," he said, laughing. I could readily understand how his innate47 poetic48 delicacy49 had been affronted50 by the dreary51, disciplinary atmosphere of a schoolroom.
"That is why I opened Santiniketan under the shady trees and the glories of the sky." He motioned eloquently52 to a little group studying in the beautiful garden. "A child is in his natural setting amidst the flowers and songbirds. Only thus may he fully38 express the hidden wealth of his individual endowment. True education can never be crammed53 and pumped from without; rather it must aid in bringing spontaneously to the surface the infinite hoards54 of wisdom within." 29-2
I agreed. "The idealistic and hero-worshiping instincts of the young are starved on an exclusive diet of statistics and chronological55 eras."
The poet spoke31 lovingly of his father, Devendranath, who had inspired the Santiniketan beginnings.
"Father presented me with this fertile land, where he had already built a guest house and temple," Rabindranath told me. "I started my educational experiment here in 1901, with only ten boys. The eight thousand pounds which came with the Nobel Prize all went for the upkeep of the school."
The elder Tagore, Devendranath, known far and wide as "Maharishi," was a very remarkable56 man, as one may discover from his Autobiography57. Two years of his manhood were spent in meditation58 in the Himalayas. In turn, his father, Dwarkanath Tagore, had been celebrated59 throughout Bengal for his munificent60 public benefactions. From this illustrious tree has sprung a family of geniuses. Not Rabindranath alone; all his relatives have distinguished61 themselves in creative expression. His brothers, Gogonendra and Abanindra, are among the foremost artists 29-3 of India; another brother, Dwijendra, is a deep-seeing philosopher, at whose gentle call the birds and woodland creatures respond.
Rabindranath invited me to stay overnight in the guest house. It was indeed a charming spectacle, in the evening, to see the poet seated with a group in the patio62. Time unfolded backward: the scene before me was like that of an ancient hermitage-the joyous36 singer encircled by his devotees, all aureoled in divine love. Tagore knitted each tie with the cords of harmony. Never assertive63, he drew and captured the heart by an irresistible64 magnetism65. Rare blossom of poesy blooming in the garden of the Lord, attracting others by a natural fragrance66!
In his melodious voice, Rabindranath read to us a few of his exquisite67 poems, newly created. Most of his songs and plays, written for the delectation of his students, have been composed at Santiniketan. The beauty of his lines, to me, lies in his art of referring to God in nearly every stanza68, yet seldom mentioning the sacred Name. "Drunk with the bliss69 of singing," he wrote, "I forget myself and call thee friend who art my lord."
The following day, after lunch, I bade the poet a reluctant farewell. I rejoice that his little school has now grown to an international university, "Viswa-Bharati," where scholars of all lands have found an ideal setting.
"Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by
narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms toward perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the
dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening
thought and action;
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country
awake!" 29-4
RABINDRANATH TAGORE
29-1: The English writer and publicist, close friend of Mahatma Gandhi. Mr. Andrews is honored in India for his many services to his adopted land.
29-2: "The soul having been often born, or, as the Hindus say, 'traveling the path of existence through thousands of births' . . . there is nothing of which she has not gained the knowledge; no wonder that she is able to recollect70 . . . what formerly71 she knew. . . . For inquiry72 and learning is reminiscence all."-Emerson.
29-3: Rabindranath, too, in his sixties, engaged in a serious study of painting. Exhibitions of his "futuristic" work were given some years ago in European capitals and New York.
29-4: Gitanjali (New York: Macmillan Co.). A thoughtful study of the poet will be found in The Philosophy Of Rabindranath Tagore, by the celebrated scholar, Sir S. Radhakrishnan (Macmillan, 1918). Another expository volume is B. K. Roy's Rabindranath Tagore: The Man And His Poetry (New York: Dodd, Mead73, 1915). Buddha74 And The Gospel Of Buddhism75 (New York: Putnam's, 1916), by the eminent76 Oriental art authority, Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, contains a number of illustrations in color by the poet's brother, Abanindra Nath Tagore.
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1
melodious
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| adj.旋律美妙的，调子优美的，音乐性的 | |
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provocation
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| n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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hoary
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| adj.古老的；鬓发斑白的 | |
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antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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11
flayed
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| v.痛打( flay的过去式和过去分词 )；把…打得皮开肉绽；剥（通常指动物）的皮；严厉批评 | |
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12
colloquial
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| adj.口语的，会话的 | |
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pundits
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| n.某一学科的权威，专家( pundit的名词复数 ) | |
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embody
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| vt.具体表达，使具体化；包含，收录 | |
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philosophic
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| adj.哲学的，贤明的 | |
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influential
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| adj.有影响的，有权势的 | |
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homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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intentionally
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| ad.故意地，有意地 | |
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stoic
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| n.坚忍克己之人，禁欲主义者 | |
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20
habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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22
bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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24
putrid
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| adj.腐臭的；有毒的；已腐烂的；卑劣的 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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26
displeased
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| a.不快的 | |
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27
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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28
shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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29
chastisement
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| n.惩罚 | |
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30
outspoken
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| adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的 | |
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31
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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32
attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
emanated
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| v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的过去式和过去分词 )；产生，表现，显示 | |
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34
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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35
epics
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| n.叙事诗( epic的名词复数 )；壮举；惊人之举；史诗般的电影（或书籍） | |
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36
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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39
chiseled
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| adj.凿刻的，轮廓分明的v.凿，雕，镌( chisel的过去式 ) | |
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40
patrician
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| adj.贵族的，显贵的；n.贵族；有教养的人；罗马帝国的地方官 | |
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41
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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42
enchanting
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| a.讨人喜欢的 | |
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43
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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44
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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45
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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46
energizing
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| v.给予…精力，能量( energize的现在分词 )；使通电 | |
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47
innate
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| adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的 | |
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48
poetic
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| adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的 | |
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49
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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50
affronted
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| adj.被侮辱的，被冒犯的v.勇敢地面对( affront的过去式和过去分词 )；相遇 | |
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51
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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52
eloquently
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| adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
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53
crammed
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| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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54
hoards
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| n.（钱财、食物或其他珍贵物品的）储藏，积存( hoard的名词复数 )v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的第三人称单数 ) | |
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55
chronological
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| adj.按年月顺序排列的，年代学的 | |
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56
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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57
autobiography
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| n.自传 | |
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58
meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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59
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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60
munificent
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| adj.慷慨的，大方的 | |
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61
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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62
patio
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| n.庭院，平台 | |
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63
assertive
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| adj.果断的，自信的，有冲劲的 | |
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64
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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65
magnetism
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| n.磁性，吸引力，磁学 | |
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66
fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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67
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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68
stanza
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| n.（诗）节，段 | |
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69
bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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70
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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71
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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72
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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73
mead
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| n.蜂蜜酒 | |
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74
Buddha
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| n.佛；佛像；佛陀 | |
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Buddhism
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| n.佛教（教义） | |
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eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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