Parjaay: Puja (205); Upa-parjaay: Dukkha; Taal: Jhampak; Raag: Malhar

Written on: 1914 (Afternoon 26 Bhadra 1321); Place: Surul; Collection:

Geetali

Swarabitan: 11 (Ketaki) / 42; Notation by: Dinendranath Tagore

Notes: This song was composed in the afternoon on 12th September, 1914
while He was travelling by bullock cart from Surul to Shantiniketan.

It is very difficult to imagine how a song like this can be composed on a

bullock cart. However this is not the only one, but several others have
been composed on a train car, on a rented car or even on a palanquin. This
was a time when the poet used to come to Shantiniketan from Surul on a
daily basis.

Amal Hom, in his memoir writes –

... It was summer in Shantiniketan. Kalidas Nag and myself had been
engrossed in a friendly chat after a afternoon tea session. A norwester
storm had darkened the horizon. … Suddenly Din-da shouted – Look Rabi-
da is coming.
We were utterly astonished to see – it was indeed Rabindranath, running
through the storm. His robe, His beard, mustache all fluttering with the
squall, He had tightly gripped His robe with one hand and spectacles with
the other. … A few more steps and we could hear Him singing loudly –
‘Jete jete ekla pothe …’.
He stepped on the verandah and said – Dinu, take this … he entered the
room and sat on the carpet mat. … Then the downpour started … and
along with trickled in several streams the songs of the poet and
Dinendranath.
 Jete jete ekla pothe
Nibechhe mor baati.
Jhar esechhe, ore, ebar
Jharke pelem saathi.
Aakaashkone sarboneshe
Khane khane utthechhe hese,
Praloy aamar keshe beshe
Korchhe maatamaati.
Je path diye jetechhilem
Bhuliye dilo taare,
Aabar kotha chalte habe
Gobhir andhakaare.
Bujhi ba ei bajrorabe
Nutan pather baarta kabe -
Kon purite giye tabe
Probhat hobe raati.