Bengali Meaning of Rabindranath Tagore: “The Golden Boat”
Stanza
1
"Clouds
rumbling in the sky; teeming rain."
আকাশে মেঘ
গর্জন করছে;
অবিশ্রান্ত বৃষ্টি
ঝরছে।
"I
sit on the river bank, sad and alone."
আমি নদীর
তীরে বিষণ্ণ
ও একাকী
বসে আছি।
"The
sheaves lie gathered, harvest has ended,"
শস্যের আঁটিগুলো
কেটে স্তূপ
করে রাখা
হয়েছে, ফসল
কাটা শেষ
হয়েছে।
"The
river is swollen and fierce in its flow."
নদী ফুলে-ফেঁপে উঠেছে এবং
তার স্রোত
অত্যন্ত খরস্রোতা
ও উন্মত্ত।
"As
we cut the paddy it started to rain."
ধান কাটার
সময়েই বৃষ্টি
নামতে শুরু
করেছিল।
এই স্তবকে
বর্ষার একটি
বিষণ্ণ ও
প্রতিকূল পরিবেশের
চিত্র তুলে
ধরা হয়েছে।
কবি নদীর
তীরে তাঁর
সারা জীবনের
অর্জিত ফসল
(সৃষ্টিকর্ম) নিয়ে
একা দাঁড়িয়ে
আছেন, চারপাশের
নদী ফুলে-ফেঁপে উঠেছে যা
ক্ষণস্থায়ী জীবনের
বিপদের প্রতীক।
Stanza
2
"One
small paddy-field, no one but me –"
ছোট্ট একটি
ধানখেত, আমি
ছাড়া সেখানে
আর কেউ
নেই—
"Flood-waters
twisting and swirling everywhere."
বন্যার জল
চারিদিকে আবর্তিত
হয়ে ঘুরপাক
খাচ্ছে।
"Trees
on the far bank; smear shadows like ink"
দূরের তীরের
গাছপালা কালির
মতো ছায়া
লেপে দিয়েছে,
"On
a village painted on deep morning grey."
ভোরের গাঢ়
ধূসরতায় আঁকা
যেন একটি
গ্রাম।
"On
this side a paddy-field, no one but me."
আর এই
পারে শুধু
ছোট্ট ধানখেত,
আমি ছাড়া
কেউ নেই।
এখানে কবির
চরম একাকীত্ব
ও পৃথিবীর
বিশালতার বিপরীতে
মানবজীবনের ক্ষুদ্রতা
তুলে ধরা
হয়েছে। চারিদিকের
ঘূর্ণায়মান জলস্রোত
নির্দেশ করে
মহাকালের আগ্রাসনকে।
Stanza
3
"Who
is this, steering close to the shore"
তীরে তরী
বেয়ে এগিয়ে
আসা এই
মাঝি কে?
"Singing?
I feel that she is someone I know."
গান গাইতে
গাইতে আসছে?
মনে হয়
যেন আমার
চেনা কেউ।
"The
sails are filled wide, she gazes ahead,"
পালের হাওয়া
ভরপুর, সে
সামনের দিকে
দৃষ্টি স্থির
করে রেখেছে,
"Waves
break helplessly against the boat each side."
নৌকার দুপাশে
ঢেউগুলো যেন
নিরুপায় হয়ে
আছড়ে পড়ছে।
"I
watch and feel I have seen her face before."
আমি চেয়ে
দেখি এবং
মনে হয়
তার মুখ
আমি আগেও
কোথাও দেখেছি।
মহাকালের প্রতীক
হিসেবে এখানে
এক রহস্যময়
মাঝির আগমন
ঘটে। সেই
মাঝি নির্লিপ্ত
ও উদ্দেশ্যমুখী;
সে কারও
জন্য থামে
না, নিজের
ছন্দে এগিয়ে
চলে।
Stanza
4
"Oh
to what foreign land do you sail?"
ওগো, তুমি
কোন দূর
বিদেশের পানে
পাল তুলে
চলেছ?
"Come
to the bank and moor your boat for a while."
একবার কূলে
এসে ক্ষণিকের
জন্য তোমার
নৌকা বাঁধো।
"Go
where you want to, give where you care to,"
তুমি যেখানে
ইচ্ছে যাও,
যাকে খুশি
দিয়ে দাও,
"But
come to the bank a moment, show your smile –"
শুধু একটি
মুহূর্তের জন্য
তীরে এসো,
মৃদু হেসে
তাকাও—
"Take
away my golden paddy when you sail."
যাওয়ার বেলায়
আমার এই
সোনার ধান
(সোনার ফসল)
তুলে নিয়ে
যাও।
কবি মাঝিকে
অনুরোধ করছেন
যাতে সে
তীরে এসে
কবির সারাজীবনের
অর্জিত সৃষ্টি
বা সোনার
ফসল নৌকায়
তুলে নেয়।
কবি তাঁর
সৃষ্টিকে রক্ষা
করতে চান।
Stanza
5
"Take
it, take as much as you can load."
নাও, যতটুকু
তুলতে পারো
সব তুলে
নাও।
"Is
there more? No, none, I have put it aboard."
আর কি
কিছু বাকি
আছে? না,
কিছুই নেই,
সব নৌকায়
তুলে দিয়েছি।
"My
intense labour here by the river –"
এই নদীকূলে
আমার এতদিনের
কঠোর সাধনা
ও পরিশ্রমের
ফসল—
"I
have parted with it all, layer upon layer;"
স্তরে স্তরে
সাজিয়ে তার
সবকিছুই আমি
সঁপে দিয়েছি;
"Now
take me as well, be kind, take me aboard."
এবার দয়া
করে আমাকেও
নৌকায় তুলে
নাও।
কবি তাঁর
সমস্ত সৃষ্টিকর্ম
নিঃসংকোচে তরণীতে
তুলে দেওয়ার
পর মাঝিকে
অনুরোধ করেন
তাঁকেও যেন
সেই নৌকায়
স্থান দেওয়া
হয়।
Stanza
6
"No
room, no room, the boat is too small."
ঠাঁই নেই,
ঠাঁই নেই,
নৌকাটি বড্ড
ছোটো।
"Loaded
with my gold paddy, the boat is full."
আমারই সোনার
ধানে তরীটি
পূর্ণ হয়ে
গেছে।
"Across
the rain-sky clouds heave to and fro,"
মেঘলা আকাশজুড়ে
মেঘেরা এদিক-সেদিক ভেসে বেড়াচ্ছে,
"On
the bare river-bank, I remain alone –"
আর এই
শূন্য নদীর
কূলে আমি
একাকী পড়ে
রইলাম—
"What
had has gone: the golden boat took all."
যা কিছু
ছিল সব
চলে গেল:
সোনার তরী
সব কেড়ে
নিয়ে গেল।
কবিতার মূল
ভাব (Core Theme):
মহাকাল বা
সময় মানুষের
সৃষ্ট শ্রেষ্ঠ
শিল্প ও
কর্মকে গ্রহণ
করে সংরক্ষণ
করে চিরকালের
জন্য, কিন্তু
নশ্বর মানুষকে
গ্রহণ করে
না। সৃষ্টির
স্থান হলেও
স্রষ্টার কোনো
স্থান মহাকালের
সোনার তরীতে
হয় না—মানুষকে একা,
নশ্বর রূপেই
মৃত্যুর কোলে
ঢলে পড়তে
হয়।
সোনার তরী
— রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর
গগনে গরজে
মেঘ, ঘন
বরষা।
কূলে একা
বসে আছি,
নাহি ভরসা।
রাশি রাশি
ভারা ভারা
ধান কাটা
হল সারা,
ভরা নদী
ক্ষুরধারা
খরপরশা।
কাটিতে কাটিতে
ধান এল
বরষা।
খানি ছোটো
খেত, আমি
একেলা,
চারি দিকে
বাঁকা জল
করিছে খেলা।
পরপারে দেখি
আঁকা
তরুছায়ামসীমাখা
গ্রামখানি মেঘে
ঢাকা
প্রভাতবেলা—
এ পারেতে
ছোটো খেত,
আমি একেলা।
গান গেয়ে
তরী বেয়ে
কে আসে
পারে,
দেখে যেন
মনে হয়
চিনি উহারে।
ভরা-পালে
চলে যায়,
কোনো দিকে
নাহি চায়,
ঢেউগুলি নিরুপায়
ভাঙে দু-ধারে—
দেখে যেন
মনে হয়
চিনি উহারে।
ওগো, তুমি
কোথা যাও
কোন্ বিদেশে,
বারেক ভিড়াও
তরী কূলেতে
এসে।
যেয়ো যেথা
যেতে চাও,
যারে খুশি
তারে দাও,
শুধু তুমি
নিয়ে যাও
ক্ষণিক হেসে
আমার সোনার
ধান কূলেতে
এসে।
যত চাও
তত লও
তরণী-’পরে।
আর আছে?—
আর নাই,
দিয়েছি ভরে।
এতকাল নদীকূলে
যাহা লয়ে
ছিনু ভুলে
সকলি দিলাম
তুলে
থরে বিথরে—
এখন আমারে
লহ করুণা
করে।
ঠাঁই নাই,
ঠাঁই নাই—
ছোটো সে
তরী
আম সোনার
ধানে গিয়েছে
ভরি।
শ্রাবণগগন ঘিরে
ঘন মেঘ
ঘুরে ফিরে,
শূন্য নদীর
তীরে
রহিনু পড়ি—
যাহা ছিল
নিয়ে গেল
সোনার তরী।
Critical
Summary of "The Golden Boat"
The
poem The Golden Boat by Rabindranath Tagore opens on a dark and stormy
monsoon day by the bank of a swollen river. The speaker sits alone in deep
helplessness as heavy clouds thunder in the sky and rain pours down
relentlessly. He has just finished harvesting his golden paddy after working
hard for a very long time. As the harvest ends, the river swells with ferocious
and dangerous currents, cutting off his connection with the surrounding world
and threatening to wash away his efforts.
The
speaker emphasizes his extreme isolation on the small plot of land surrounded
by swirling floodwaters. Looking across the river, he can faintly see the
distant village wrapped in morning shadows and mist, which creates a sharp
contrast between the safe social world and his vulnerable state. On his side of
the river, there is nothing except his small field, his stacked crop, and his
solitary self. This setting effectively highlights human fragility against the
immense power of nature and time.
Suddenly,
the speaker notices a golden boat steering through the turbulent waters toward
the riverbank. A mysterious boatperson is sailing smoothly and singing a sweet
song while looking straight ahead with complete detachment. The speaker feels
an instinctive sense of familiarity with this figure, believing that he has
seen this face before. The boat glides effortlessly despite the surging waves,
representing the unstoppable and indifferent flow of time and destiny.
Seeing
the boat approaching, the desperate speaker calls out and pleads with the
boatperson to anchor for just a brief moment. He does not ask where the boat is
going or what will happen to the harvest later. He generously offers all his
golden paddy to the boatperson to take anywhere and give to anyone. His only
earnest wish is that the precious fruits of his lifelong labor are saved from
drowning in the roaring river.
The
boatperson agrees, and the speaker eagerly loads every single sheaf of his
golden harvest into the boat. He carefully arranges his lifelong creation layer
upon layer until nothing of value remains on the bare shore. After surrendering
everything he has produced with immense devotion and hard work, the speaker
humbly requests the boatperson to show mercy and take him along on the boat as
well.
However,
the boatperson rejects his plea, declaring that the vessel is too small and
completely filled with the golden paddy. There is simply no room left for the
person who created the harvest. The boat sets sail into the distance, leaving
the speaker entirely abandoned on the empty, rain-drenched riverbank under the
dark monsoon sky. All his creations are taken away, while his physical self is
discarded and left behind to face inevitable decay.
Through
this poignant allegorical narrative, Tagore reveals the eternal truth about
human existence and the nature of time. The golden boat represents Time or
Eternity, while the golden paddy symbolizes the timeless art, virtues, and
creations of human life. The poem conveys the philosophical message that the
universe preserves the valuable creations of an individual for posterity, but
it has no place for the mortal creator. Human beings must eventually perish
alone, leaving only their good deeds and works behind
Important Information about this poetry:
1. Significance and Philosophical Justification (সার্থকতা)
Man is mortal, but his creative work is immortal. The solitary farmer placed against the disastrous monsoon setting is, in reality, the inner self of the poet. In this world, a human being is utterly alone and helpless. Amidst this profound loneliness, he must cultivate the golden harvest of his lifelong deeds.
Eventually, Eternal Time (Mahakal) arrives bearing the boat of death. It carries away man's golden harvest, but finds no room for the creator himself. In this poem, the poet has articulated this stark reality under the veil of an allegory.
2. Conclusion & Title Justification (উপসংহার)
In conclusion, judged by its profound thematic depth, the allegorical title "Sonar Tori" (The Golden Boat) is entirely apt, justified, and artistically supreme. The vessel that carries the golden essence of life toward the ocean of immortality is named by the poet as the "Golden Boat." Whether physically made of iron or wood, its metaphysical essence is pure gold.
The underlying theme of Sonar Tori is that every human being in this world is a farmer. His field of action is strictly bounded by the limits of his lifespan. Around it, the eternal current of time rushes furiously like the razor-sharp waters of the river Padma. The golden paddy represents the accumulated deeds of the farmer's lifelong toil. Sitting in his field, he harvests and stacks the golden crop of his actions.
At that very moment, the messenger of Time arrives like a swirling flood, ready to devour his life, which is hemmed in on all sides by finite existence. Close behind, Mahakal appears in the guise of a boatman, steering the golden boat of history to load the golden paddy of human achievements into his vessel. Yet, despite earnest pleas, he refuses to take the mortal human aboard. The creator is left behind, neglected and abandoned. The universe desires man’s deeds, not the mortal man himself. This is the greatest tragedy of human existence.
3. Prose Rendering of "Sonar Tori" (কবিতার গদ্য রূপ)
Clouds rumble across the sky; in the heavy downpour, I sit alone by the riverbank with no hope left. Heaps upon heaps of paddy have been completely harvested. The swollen river rushes by with a fierce, razor-sharp current. Even as the harvesting went on, the monsoon arrived.
On the riverbank lies a small plot of land, where I remain all alone, while swirling, treacherous floodwaters play around all four sides. On the opposite bank, distant ink-dark trees appear like a painted landscape; the entire village is shrouded in morning mist. On this bank, I am left in absolute solitude.
Singing a melody, who is this steering a boat toward the shore? Looking at the figure, it seems to be someone familiar. The boat glides forward with full sails; the steersman looks nowhere else, while the helpless waves break on either side. Watching closely, I feel as though I have known this face before.
"O traveller, where are you heading to, to what distant foreign land? Anchor your boat by this bank, if only for a brief moment. Go wherever you wish, give to whomever you please; only smile gently and take away the golden paddy I have gathered here on the shore."
"Take as much as your heart desires onto your vessel." And when asked, "Is there anything more?" I reply, "No, nothing more; I have loaded everything." All that I had remained absorbed with over the years by this riverbank, I have surrendered today, neatly arranged layer upon layer. "Now, take me aboard out of your kindness."
But there comes the reply: "No room, no room! The boat is too small—it is already packed to the brim with your golden grain."
Dark clouds wander across the Shravana sky; I remain abandoned on the bare riverbank. Everything that was mine has been taken away by the golden boat.
4. Tagore’s Own Commentary on "Sonar Tori" (রবীন্দ্রভাষ্যে সোনার তরী)
"Mahakal (Eternal Time) carries away and preserves human deeds and great achievements; but it does not seek to preserve the mortal achiever himself. Time continues to carry the monumental legacies of Homer, Valmiki, Vyasa, Kalidasa, Shakespeare, Napoleon, Alexander, and Rana Pratap Singh; but it has not preserved the physical beings of these illustrious figures. History has not recorded the names of those who first discovered fire or invented the weaving loom, yet their monumental contributions remain immortalized in the history of human civilization."
It is believed that on the dawn following this evening, the poet conducted prayers at the Santiniketan temple and delivered a sermon based on the concept of The Golden Boat. When it was transcribed, it was published in the seventh volume of the book series Santiniketan. As this interpretation comes directly from the poet, it is reproduced below in its entirety:
Loading the Boat (তরী বোঝাই)
"I once wrote a poem called 'Sonar Tori'. On this occasion, an interpretation may be offered. Throughout his entire life, man is busy cultivating a harvest. The field of his life is like an isolated island—surrounded on all sides by the Unmanifest (Avyakta); only that tiny portion is manifest to him. Hence, the Gita states:
'अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत।
अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव तत्र का परिदेवना॥'
(Beings are unmanifest in their origin, manifest in their mid-state, O Bharata, and unmanifest again in their end. What is there to grieve for?)
When time draws near, when the waters rise all around, and the moment arrives for that tiny sandbank to sink back into the Unmanifest—then he can load whatever permanent fruits of his lifelong actions he possesses onto the vessel of the World. The World will accept everything; it will not discard a single grain.
Yet, when man pleads, 'Take me along as well, preserve me too,' the World replies, 'Where is the space for you? What shall I do with you? I shall preserve all that is worth keeping from your life’s harvest, but you yourself are not worthy of being preserved!'
Every human being contributes something to the world through their life’s work; the world receives and preserves all of it, letting nothing go to waste. But when man attempts to immortalize his own ego ('Aham') along with his work, his efforts prove futile. This life that has been enjoyed—the ego itself must be surrendered to death as the final rent to settle the account; it is something that can never be preserved or hoarded."
The Golden Boat by Rabindranath Tagore: Bengali Meaning, Line-by-Line Analysis & Long Summary
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line-by-line Bengali meaning, detailed analysis, and a comprehensive
7-paragraph summary of Rabindranath Tagore’s famous poem "The Golden
Boat" (সোনার তরী).
Perfect study guide and long answer notes (15 marks) for students in simple
English.
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📖 The Golden Boat by Rabindranath Tagore | Complete
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English text with accurate Bengali translation
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7-paragraph summary in simple, error-free English
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