Tagore’s Nobobarsha (or ‘New Showers’) celebrates the onset of rains. The poem was written in 1900 and brought out that year itself as part of Kshanika (Momentary). It can also be found in Sanchayita (An Anthology of Selected Works), his poetry collection brought out by Visva Bharati, in 1931.
New Rains My heart dances today — dances like a peacock. Like the shimmer of its plumes, My heart glistens with rapturous colours. When I see the sky, my longing loses itself in euphoria. My heart dances today — dances like a peacock. The clouds rumble, rumble high up in the heavens. The rain rushes in. The new stalks of rice quiver. Doves shiver silently in their nests, frogs croak in flooded fields, The clouds rumble, rumble in the heavens. I see the clouds’ tear-filled eyes lined, lined with blue kohl. Ecstasy innervates The grass and deep shady woods. The floral bowers bloom with a new zest. I see the clouds’ tear-filled eyes are lined with blue kohl. Oh, who has untied her hair in gay abandon, in abandon on the palace's roof? Who has covered her bosom In blue, who has come Back to play with slivers of lightning? Oh, who has untied her hair in abandon on the palace's roof? Oh, by the riverbank lined with grass, who sits in dark raiment dripping purity? The young malati flowers wonder distractedly As they gaze at the distant skies, where Does the vessel float as it leaves the ghats? Oh, by the riverbank lined with grass, who sits in dark raiment? Oh, who swings today on the lonely swaying bakul branch, swings and sways? The bakul flutters and falls. An aanchal* soars to the the sky with yearning, A lock of hair flies to cover the eyes, the karabi flower drops. Oh, who swings today on the lonely swaying bakul branch? In this chaos, who has moored his boat, his new boat by the riverside? Clumps of cotton-like moss Fill the watery banks. The clouds sing soulful songs with tear-filled eyes. In this chaos, who has moored his new boat by the riverside? My heart dances today — Dances like a peacock. A heavy downpour falls on the new leaves, The garden quivers with the chirrup of crickets. The river has crossed the bank and approaches the village. My heart dances today — dances like a peacock. *Loose end of a Saree (This poem has been translated by Mitali Chakravarty)
There is also an English translation [1]of the poem by Tagore. The translation is shorter and of twenty lines only as opposed to the 41 lines of the full-length poem. The poet’s translation is a part of Tagore’s Poems edited by Krishna Kripalani, Amiya Chakravarty, Nirmalchandra Chattopadhyay and Pulinbehari Sen ( Calcutta: Visva Bharati, 1942).
The poet’s own translation is sung in the original language it was written in, Bengali. Here we present the song sung by a reputed singer, Srikanto Acharya.
Thanks to Bichitra Varorium, to Anasuya Bhar for her research and editorial advise, Sohana Manzoor for her art and editorial comments. Tagore’s short translation has also been used as a resource for improving the translation of the full-length poem.
[1] Bichitra Varorium, researched by Anasuya Bhar
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