Storm by Rabindranath Tagore

Jhor (Storm) by Rabindranath Tagore was first published in his collection called Kheya (Ferry) in 1906.

            STORM 
  
The downpour shatters the sky 
     As the storm rages today — 
The mridanga drums in rhythm
   With thunder and lightning-strikes. 
What ragini would suit this weather? 
   What tune would you hum? 
The darkness has cindered 
    The blue with shadows. 

Herds of cows call out 
In the meadow hazy with rain. 
    Under the tall palmyra trees, 
    Dark pools shiver. 
The wind whooshes screaming 
  Through a broken burnt home. 
The opposing borders of empty fields
    Shout out to each other. 
     
Who looked for me today 
  While traversing the path? 
They would have had water 
   Dripping down their locks. 
My heart dances to the tune 
     Of the raag Mallar
Who returned from my door 
   Without singing their song? 

Come all of you to my home. 
      Sit near me. 
Today my mind is focussed 
     In meditation.
The empty wind rushes 
   Through land and water. 
After the storm, my mind 
    Flies with the Northwind. 

Who’d be crazy enough to come
    In this torrential downpour, 
From beyond 
     Which shore? 
You will arrive with the cry 
     Of wet woods 
And the perfume of 
     Garlands of gandharaj. 

Oh, today after many days,
      After many journeys, 
My gathered sorrows seem to have broken 
Out of their cage to run to an unknown place — 
In the shadowy groves of endings, 
       From the forgotten lands, 
Created or broken, 
      At the end of every song. 

The dark clouds whip
      Wayward thoughts. 
Haphazard conversations waft 
    In haphazard wild winds. 
In the distant forest, branches swing.
    The rain falls hard. 
The thunder arouses 
      A strange restlessness.


*ragini is the female form of raga or raag. Mallar or Malhar is the raag associated with rains. 

This poem has been translated from Bengali by Mitali Chakravarty with editorial input by Sohana Manzoor

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