Birth Anniversaries of Poet Rabindronath Tagore and Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam

Dr. AK Abdul Momen : May 22 we are observing the birth anniversaries of two most popular and most well respected towering Bengali poets and they are Poet Rabindronath Tagore and Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.   Tagore was the first Nobel Laureate in literature and perhaps the only litterateur who penned anthems of two countries in the world; Bangladesh and India while Nazrul is known as a rebel Poet, the national poet of Bangladesh.  

Nazrul was born in West Bengal of India but laid at rest in Bangladesh.  Tagore who managed his landed estates in East Bengal laid in rest in India.  Tagore being the youngest of 13 children of an aristocracy enrolled to be a prospective barrister-at-law in London at age 17 but left it to explore Shakespeare and more.  In contrast, Nazrul, the second of 4 surviving children could not attend school owing to financial constraints and he left it at age 11 to earn a living.  Both did not have formal education but both of them reshaped and enriched the Bengali language, literature, poems, music, drama, education, philosophy and more importantly, no comparison yet been born in their field in Bangla language. Interestingly, both were born in the month of May and both died in the month of August— Nazrul was born on May 26^th 1899 and died on August 29, 1976 while Tagore was born on May 7^th 1861 and died on August 7, 1941.  Both were politically conscious, both opposed the atrocities of the British Raj.  Tagore gave up his Knighthood in protest of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, Nazrul was imprisoned on treason charges repeatedly for his revolutionary writings against the British Raj such as “Bidrohi” (The Rebel), “Bhangar Gaan” (The Song of Destruction), as well as his publication of “Dhumketu” (The Comet).

Tagore was soothing, milder, idealistic and compassionate with his philosophical appeal of love and inner self while Nazrul was revolutionary, violent, spirited, inspiring, ready to embrace love, ready to destroy and root out the social evils, bigotry, and the like. Despite differences, Tagore welcomed Nazrul to fill the vacuum, while Nazrul looked toward Tagore as his mentor.  Both maintained close association.

Tagore and Nazrul were the most widely read popular poets, novelists, musicians, and playwrights of Bengal and they reshaped Bengali literature and music.  Tagore’s profoundly sensitive, fresh, beautiful, simple, and soothing verses that express deep philosophical and spiritual inner self are still vibrant and alive.  His prophetic words, I quote, “Azi Hothe Shotho Borsho Pore Ke Thumi Porecho Boshi Amar Kobitha Khani  kuwtuhal Borey” — who are you reading my poem even after 100 years.  No wonder, Tagore was perhaps the most important literary figure of Bangla literature.  He was a mesmerizing representative of the Indian culture whose influence and popularity internationally perhaps could only be compared to that of Gandhi, whom Tagore named ‘Mahatma‘ out of his deep admiration for him. Tagore started writing his poems at age 8 and drama at age 16.  Nazrul started playing in theatrical group known as leto at around age 8 and published his first novel “Bandhan Hara” (Freedom from Bondage) at age 21. His advent is like a comet or a thunder and soon he captivated the whole Bengali community by publishing his poem “Bidrohi” at age 22, which remains his most famous work, winning admiration of India’s literary classes by his description of the rebel whose impact is fierce and ruthless even as its spirit is deep and wild.  Nazrul’s literary lifespan was nearly 1/4^th of that of Tagore’s but he captivated the whole nation with spirit and inspiration. Tagore modernized Bengali art by spurning rigid classical forms. His stories, songs, dance-dramas, essays and novels were acclaimed for their lyricism, colloquialism, naturalism, and contemplation.  His poems and music are like prayers for one’s self enrichment and salvation.  For example,

“Onthoro Momo Bikoshitho Koro Onthoro Thoro Hey. 

Jukthokoro Hey Shaber Sange Muktho Korohey Bandho. 

Uzzalo koro, Nonditho koro, Sundhoro Korohey” —

[Make my inner self exposed in the best possible way.  Join me with others and liberate myself from bondage.  Enlighten me; make me great and beautiful in the truest sense of the term].

Tagore composed nearly 2,230 songs known as Rabindro Sangeet besides poems, paintings, short stories, drama, etc.  Nazrul composed nearly 4,000 songs plus Ghazals known as Nazrul geeti and Ghazals.  Both Nazrul geeti , ghazals and Rabindro Sangeet are still very popular. In 1912, Tagore took a sheaf of his translated works to England, where they impressed missionary and Gandhi protégé Charles F. Andrews, Anglo-Irish poet William Butler Yeats, Ezra Pound, Robert Bridges, Ernest Rhys, Thomas Sturge Moore, and others.  Indeed, Yeats wrote the preface to the English translation of Gitanjali that won Nobel Prize.  Tagore’s travels abroad nearly 30 countries allowed him to interact with many notable contemporaries, including Henri Bergson, Albert Einstein, Robert Frost, Thomas Mann, George Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells and Nobel Laureate Romain Rolland.

Tagore is a mystic poet but Nazrul is a rebel poet.  Nazrul revolted against not only the British Raj but also against social evils, injustice, unfairness, bigotry, intolerance and discrimination.  His writings were revolutionary, forceful and full of spirit.  His poetry is a sharp departure from that of Tagore’s in tone, in expression and in language.  He was a down-to-earth vibrant poet, a musician and a revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi or Rebel Poet. Nazrul’s “Bidrohi” as I said in is not only fierce and ruthless but his genius of application of languages together—words from Bangla, Arabic, Sanskrit, Persian, English and mythological depth of them is unique and non-comparable. In his Bidrohi, he writes;

I am the unutterable grief,
I am the trembling first touch of the virgin,
I am the throbbing tenderness of her first stolen kiss.
I am the fleeting glance of the veiled beloved,
I am her constant surreptitious gaze…
I am the burning volcano in the bosom of the earth,
I am the wild fire of the woods,
I am Hell’s mad terrific sea of wrath!
I ride on the wings of lightning with joy and profundity,
I scatter misery and fear all around,
I bring earth-quakes on this world!

I am the rebel eternal,
I raise my head beyond this world,
High, ever erect and alone! “ (English translation by Kabir Choudhary)

Nazrul is a great humanist. He writes;

Gahi Sammer Gaan

Manusher Cheye Boro kichu nai, nohe kichu mohiyan

Nai Desh Kal Pather Ved, Aved Dhormo Jathi

Jekane Mishechey Hindu-Bhudda-Muslim-Kristan

Gahi Sammer Gaan”

(I sing for human unity, no one is bigger to human beings, no reason to discriminate owing to place, time, or religion)

Recently at the UN, we had our Conference on Status of Women plus Beijing 15+ event.  Thousands of delegates deliberated and discussed the issue of women.  Interestingly, it was poet Nazrul who acknowledged women for their contribution to humankind decades ago. He professed faith in the equality of women.

 “Bishe Jaha Mohan Sristi Chiro Kollayan Kor

Ordek Thar Daniayche Nari, Ordek Thar nor”

[..whatever great or benevolent achievements, that are in this world, half of that was by woman, the other half by man]

He stunned the society with his poem “Barangana” (Prostitute), in which he addresses a prostitute as “mother”. Nazrul accepts the prostitute as a human being, reasoning that this person was breast-fed by a noble woman and belonging to the race of “mothers and sisters”; he assails society’s negative notions of prostitutes. He writes;

Who calls you a prostitute, mother?
Who spits at you?
Perhaps you were suckled by someone
as chaste as Seeta. [translation by Sajed Kamal]

O-shothi Narir Putro Jodi Jaroj Putro Hoy

O-shoth Pithar Putro Thobey Jarog Shu-Nischoy

(..if the son of an unchaste mother is illegitimate, so is the son of an unchaste father)

To Nazrul, woman was a complete human being and he dreamt of a new era where women would be treated as equal.  He writes;

Shey Jug Hoyeche Bashi

Je Juge Purosh Das Chilo Nako

Narira Chilo Dashi

Sother Jug Manusher Jug Azi

Kaho Rohi-bena Bondi Khaharoo

Utichey Donka Baji”

(..the days of subjugation of man over woman are over.  No one will be subjugated to another)Some consider Nazrul as a Rebel poet, some as Romantic poet, some as a Poet of Humanism, some as Muslim Renaissance poet, and many as a reformer.  In fact, underlying all his contributions, a philosophy of life is enumerated in his writings—a philosophy that humanity is superior to all and he is none but a messenger.  He himself stated it when he had to testify in the British   Court and said, “I am a poet. I have been sent by God to express the unexpressed, to portray the un-portrayed. .. … My voice is but a medium for Truth, the message of God… I am the instrument of that eternal self-evident truth, an instrument that voices forth the message of the ever-lasting truth. I am an instrument of God and this instrument is unbreakable”.  Or,

 “ Oki Chondal? Chomkow Ken? Nohye Ay Grinno Jib

Oi hote pare Horish Chandra Oi Sho-shaner Shiv

Az Chondal Kal Hote Pare Moha Kabi Samrat

Tarai Anilo Omar Bani, Jha Ache Robe Chirokal

Thumi Thare Ogro Danibe, Koribe Nandi Paat

Jotho Nabi Chilo Mesher Rakal

Thara Dorilo Pal”

 [..a poor person could be a great person, a priest, a hero, a king or a great poet.  All the prophets were sheppard and they guided the nations] Bidrohi Kabi Nazrul was an excellent composer, lyricist, singer, musician and a revolutionary and his teachings will remain fresh forever as long as there will remain social discrimination and injustice.  I am pleased that Bangladesh government has set up a NazrulUniversity in Trishal, Mymensingh where he attended school and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently declared of setting up of a RabindronathUniversity in Sagordari, Khustia where he spent his time in Bangladesh in line with that of the Bisho-VarothiUniversity that Tagore established himself. Few universities of USA have Tagore institutes or chairs but there was none for Nazrul. Only recently at the initiative of a few members of the Bangladesh Diasporas in USA, Nazrul Chairs are being set up in two universities, one in Connecticut and another in California.  This is a good beginning but not enough.  It is time for others to come forward to set up Nazrul Institutes to promote the ideals and ideas that Nazrul so eloquently tried to portray in his writings, poems, songs, music and ghazals.

[Speech delivered by Dr. AK Abdul Momen, Bangladesh Ambassador & Permanent Representative to the UN at the Rabindro-Narzul Anniversary at the Bangladesh Mission on May 22, 2010, New York]