Eshechhe Sarat ( Autumn) by Rabindranath Tagore was published in 1937. The poem flows to describe the season of Sarat, or the early part of autumn, when Bengalis celebrated their major festival, Durga Puja
AUTUMN A cool breeze awakens Autumn anew. At dawn, the grass rim Is lined with dew. The amloki groves shiver. Their hearts pound like drums, As they know the time to shed Leaves has clearly come. The shiuli branches are laden with buds. The togor blossoms hold sway. The bees visit sprays of the Malatilata twice a day. As the rains have ended, The clouds roam the skies free. They drift with the breeze, At leisure and full of glee. The ponds ripple with water. Their banks bloom with flowers. The young rice plants fill the fields The wind swings the paddy bowers. Wherever I look, a golden light Suffuses a vision of holidays, The festive sun rises in the woods Of puja* blossoms drenched in gold rays. ------------------------------------------ Amloki is Indian gooseberry Togor (genera: milkwood), shiuli (jasmine)and Malatilata (Rangoon creeper) are flowers that bloom around autumn *Durga Puja
This poem was a part of Sahaj Path, a set of books created by Tagore to teach the Bengali language. The four books that constitute the set were illustrated by the famed artist Nandalal Bose (1882-1966), who was also a major part of Santiniketan.
(This poem has been translated by Mitali Chakravarty with editorial backing from Anasuya Bhar and Sohana Manzoor)
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