This page is a collection of Arup K. Chatterjeeโs metrical translations of Rabindranath Tagoreโs immortal collection of songs, Gitabitan. Each poem in this collected translations pairs an English composition with the Bengali original, so that readers may feel the poem as both poem and song. These are not literal glosses but poetic re-creations: rhythms and line-lengths are preserved where possible, images remain vivid, and the emotional architecture of each song is honored. This volume is meant to be of service to readers, singers, scholars, and students, who hope to find balance between metrical musicality and literary integrity.
Translations from Gitabitan | #1 | เฆเฆพเฆจเงเฆจเฆพเฆนเฆพเฆธเฆฟเฆฐ-เฆฆเงเฆฒ-เฆฆเงเฆฒเฆพเฆจเง เฆชเงเฆท-เฆซเฆพเฆเงเฆจเงเฆฐ เฆชเฆพเฆฒเฆพ | Winter and Spring Swing on Laughter and Sighs
The poem explores the emotional transitions between winter and spring, conveying a longing for peace and resolution amid turmoil. It reflects on the struggle to find solace in music while grappling with the chaos of life. The refrain highlights the destiny of being enveloped in melodies as a means of comfort.
Arup K. Chatterjee 