The Poet's Message

Maoriland Worker, Volume 11, Issue 475, 21 April 1920, Page 4

The Poet's Message

'The "New Times" contains the following translation of the poem sent as a message from Dr. Rabindranath Tagore and read aloud to the Indian National Congress at the opening of the proceedings. It. is a wonderful revelation of the soul of a. great, ancient and subject people struggling to be free. Light Thy signal for us Father! who have strayed far fom Thee, Our dwelling is among ruins, haunted by/towering shadows of fear. Our heart is bent under the load of despair and we insult Thee when' we grovel to dust at every favor or threat that mocks our manhood. For thus is descrated the Dignity of Thee in us, Thy Children! For thus we put out the light and in our abject fear make it seem that our orphaned world is blind and godless. Yet I never believe that You are lost, to us, my King! though.our poverty is great and deep our shame. -Your Will works behind the veil of despair and in Your own time opens the Gate of the Impassable. You come as unto Your own house; into the unprepared hall on the unexpected day. Dark ruins at Your touch become like seed nourishing unseen in its bosom the fruition of Fulfilment. Therefore I still have hope, not that the wrecks will be mended but that a New World will arise. If it is Thy will, let us rush into the thick of conflicts and hurts; Only give us Thy own weapon, my Mother, Thy power to suffer and to trust; Honor us with difficult duties and pain that is hard to bear; Summon us to efforts whose fruit is not in success and to errands which fail and yet find their price. \nd at the end rf our task let us proudly bring before Thee our scars and lay at Thy feet the soul that is ever free and life that is dt,athlcss, -RABINDRANATH TAGORE.