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Gitanjali 92

1861 –

1941

I know that the day will come when

my sight of this earth shall be lost, and

life will take its leave in silence, drawing

the last curtain over my eyes.

Yet stars will watch at night, and

morning rise as before, and hours heave

like sea waves casting up pleasures

and pains.

When I think of this end of my

moments, the barrier of the moments

breaks and I see by the light of death

thy world with its careless treasures.

Rare is its lowliest seat, rare is its

meanest of lives.

Things that I longed for in vain and

things that I got-let them pass. Let

me but truly possess the things that I

ever spurned and overlooked.

From Gitanjali (Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1913) by Rabindranath Tagore. This poem is in the public domain.

More by this poet

Gitanjali 35

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 towards perfection;

Rabindranath Tagore

1916

Gitanjali 34

Let only that little be left of me whereby I may name thee my all.

Let only that little be left of my will whereby I may feel thee on every side, and come to thee in everything, and offer to thee my love every moment.

Let only that little be left of me whereby I may never hide thee.

Let only that little of my fetters be left whereby I am bound with thy will, and thy purpose is carried out in my life—and that is the fetter of thy love.

Rabindranath Tagore

1916

Gitanjali 33

When it was day they came into my house and said, “We shall only take the smallest room here.”

They said, “We shall help you in the worship of your God and humbly accept only our own share of his grace”; and then they took their seat in a corner and they sat quiet and meek.

But in the darkness of night I find they break into my sacred shine, strong and turbulent, and snatch with unholy greed the offerings from God’s altar.

Rabindranath Tagore

1916

Poems

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Gitanjali 92

More by this poet

Gitanjali 35

Gitanjali 34

Gitanjali 33

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