“The world is too much with us”, said William Wordsworth. Indeed, and why not? There are things to be done and roles to play and dreams to chase. It is difficult to get away from all of it, just like that. And yet in the midst of all these that bind us to the days and nights and ebbs and flows, that which is changeless, somehow pops up in unexpected places and never really lets go of us. I heard this Tagore song – Sheemar Majhe Asheem- the other day, my attempt at translation follows, and the YouTube link of the Bengali original is attached below that.
Boundless Amidst My Binding Chords
Amidst all my binding chords,
You stand boundless for evermore,
Playing Your eternal melody,
Your radiance finds its home in me,
It shines beautiful for evermore.
In all the colors and fragrances around me,
In all the songs and poems I sing,
Your beauty dances, beyond all my words,
Your radiance finds its home in me,
It fills my heart for evermore.
When You and I are one,
Everything else fades away,
The mighty oceans rise in waves of unbridled joy,
Free for evermore.
There are no shadows in Your light,
When it finds its home in me,
Through my tears,
It shines beautiful for evermore.
