The Year 1994

A century from today

who are you reading my poetry

curiously,

A century from today!

This new spring morning's
fraction of joy,
some flower of today, some song of a bird,
some crimson glow of today –
soaking in affection will I be able to send
to your hands
a century from today?!

Still, for once, opening the south doorway
sitting in the terrace
gazing at the distant horizon,
steeped in imagination,
think in your mind –
one day a century ago
a restless bundle of joy drifting from which heaven
came and touched the heart of the universe,
new springday absolutely unfettered
insane impatient,
flapping restless wings flower-scented
southern breeze
suddenly bustling in had painted the earth
in youth's colors,
a century before yours.
That day in a restless soul, inside a song-infused heart
a poet awoke -
tried to blossom so many words flower-like
with so much affection,
one day a century ago.

A century from today
who the new poet is singing
at your homes!
This spring's joyous greetings
I send to his palm.
Let my springsong on your springday
resonate awhile –
in your heartbeat, in bee's new murmur,
in leave's rustle
a century from today.

Translation of Tagore's Saal 1400. Tagore wrote this in 1896, 17 year before he received Nobel prize for literature.

Note: Saal is Bengali for year and1400 in Bengali calendar is 1994.