https://youtu.be/YA3y6KWBSR0?si=OcQvmtNGoWfwar-x
গানগুলি মোর শৈবালেরই দল-
ওরা বন্যাধারায় পথ যে হারায় উদ্দাম চঞ্চল॥
ওরা কেনই আসে যায় বা চ'লে, অকারণের হাওয়ায় দোলে--
চিহ্ন কিছুই যায় না রেখে, পায় না কোনো ফল॥
ওদের সাধন তো নাই-- কিছু সাধন তো নাই,
ওদের বাঁধন তো নাই-- কোনো বাঁধন তো নাই।
উদাস ওরা উদাস করে গৃহহারা পথের স্বরে,
ভুলে-যাওয়ার স্রোতের 'পরে করে টলোমল।
On being asked to translate this Gemini did the following:
Of course. This is a beautiful and deeply philosophical song by Rabindranath Tagore from his collection Gitabitan. Here is a translation, along with a breakdown and explanation of its meaning.
Poetic English Translation
My songs are like a cluster of algae—
They lose their way in the flood's current, wild and restless.
I wonder, why do they come or why they go, swaying in an aimless breeze—
They leave no trace behind, nor do they bear any fruit.
They have no spiritual quest—no quest at all,
Neither do they have any earthly bonds—none at all.
Wistful are they, and they make wistful the vagrant tunes of the road.
And upon the stream of forgetfulness they sway precariously.
Explanation of the Poem's Meaning
This song is a profound meditation on the nature of the poet's own creations—his songs. Tagore uses the central metaphor of শৈবাল (shoibal), which means moss or algae, to describe his art.
Transient and Rootless: Like algae, the songs are not fixed or permanent. They are carried away by the "flood's current" (বন্যাধারা), suggesting they are products of momentary inspiration, subject to the whims of time and fate, without a clear direction or destination.
Spontaneous and Purposeless: The songs "sway in an aimless breeze" (অকারণের হাওয়ায় দোলে). They are not created with a grand purpose or for a specific outcome. They don't "bear any fruit" (পায় না কোনো ফল) or "leave any trace" (চিহ্ন কিছুই যায় না রেখে). This reflects an idea of art for art's sake—creation that is spontaneous and free from the burden of utility.
Freedom from Discipline and Bonds: The repetition of "no discipline" (সাধন তো নাই) and "no bonds" (বাঁধন তো নাই) is crucial. Sadhana implies a rigorous, disciplined spiritual or artistic practice aimed at a higher goal. Bandhan refers to earthly attachments and constraints. The poet claims his songs are free from both. They are born of effortless, unattached inspiration.
A Melancholy Freedom: This freedom, however, has a bittersweet quality. The word উদাস (udas) captures this perfectly. It means detached, indifferent, and melancholic all at once. The songs are "homeless" (গৃহহারা) and wander without belonging. They evoke this same feeling of wistful detachment in the listener.
Destined for Oblivion: The final line is the most poignant. The songs are destined to float precariously on the "stream of forgetting" (ভুলে-যাওয়ার স্রোত). The poet accepts with a gentle sadness that his creations are ephemeral, not eternal monuments, and will eventually be lost to time.
In essence, Tagore presents a humble yet beautiful vision of his own art—as something natural, spontaneous, free, and ultimately transient, like a momentary ripple in the vast stream of existence.