Religion

Gitanjali 62: When I bring to you coloured toys

by Rabindranath Tagore 1861–1941

Translated by Rabindranath Tagore (1912) · From Gitanjali (1912)

Religion

When I bring to you coloured toys, my child, I understand why there is such a play of colours on clouds, on water, and why flowers are painted in tints—when I give coloured toys to you, my child.

When I sing to make you dance I truly now why there is music in leaves, and why waves send their chorus of voices to the heart of the listening earth—when I sing to make you dance.

When I bring sweet things to your greedy hands I know why there is honey in the cup of the flowers and why fruits are secretly filled with sweet juice—when I bring sweet things to your greedy hands.

When I kiss your face to make you smile, my darling, I surely understand what pleasure streams from the sky in morning light, and what delight that is that is which the summer breeze brings to my body—when I kiss you to make you smile.

MLA

Tagore, Rabindranath. “Gitanjali 62: When I bring to you coloured toys.” Translated by Rabindranath Tagore. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/tagore/61/.

Chicago

Tagore, Rabindranath. “Gitanjali 62: When I bring to you coloured toys.” Translated by Rabindranath Tagore. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/tagore/61/.

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