A Drop of Golden Sun: Re-presenting Tagore’s Gitanjali

Book excerpt: Rabindranath Tagore once said: “Sometimes the meaning of a poem is better understood in a translation, not necessarily because it is more beautiful than the original, but as in the new setting the poem has to undergo a trial; it shines more brilliantly if it comes out triumphant." Sohini Sen re-discovered Tagore’s Gitanjali: Song Offerings in recent years, when the whole world was in a dark, vulnerable space. Revisiting the 103 original Bengali poems of Tagore and working on ‘re-presenting’ these gave her the creative solace she so needed to survive. That immersion into Gitanjali made Sen realise just how timeless Tagore’s works were, for they spoke with ease of a profound spiritual connection with one’s higher self. Across religions, across cultures. Most of all, across generations. ‘To come closest to oneself is to traverse far’, and yet, all of us do go on that journey at some point in our lives. This book promises to be a kind companion on your travel along that path.