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Rabindranath Tagore was the foremost poet, musician, playwright and philosopher from Bengal in the last century. Patriotic but still a globalist, even Mahatma Gandhi called him "Gurudev". He became Asia's first Nobel laureate by winning the 1913 Nobel Prize in Literature.Tagore's writings touch the heart, and put the most complex truths in the simplest of forms, without being overly didactic. Here is a small poem, translated from Bengali, from Gitanjali, Tagore's epic work in poetry.
The Little Grain of Gold
I had gone a-begging from door to door in the village path, when thy golden chariot appeared in the distance like a gorgeous dream and I wondered who was this King of all kings !
My hope rose high and methought my evil days were at an end, and I stood waiting for alms to be given unasked and for wealth scattered on all sides in the dust.
The chariot stopped where I stood. Thy glance fell on me and thou camesst down with a smile. I felt that the luck of my life had come at last. Then of a sudden thou didst hold out thy right hand and say “What hast thou to give to me ?”
Ah, what a kindly jest was it to open thy palm to a beggar to beg ! I was confused and stood undecided, and then from my wallet I slowly took out the least little grain of corn and gave it to thee.
But how great my surprise when at the day’s end I emptied my bag on the floor to find a least little grain of gold among tho poor heap. I bitterly wept and wished that I had had the heart to give thee my all.
My hope rose high and methought my evil days were at an end, and I stood waiting for alms to be given unasked and for wealth scattered on all sides in the dust.
The chariot stopped where I stood. Thy glance fell on me and thou camesst down with a smile. I felt that the luck of my life had come at last. Then of a sudden thou didst hold out thy right hand and say “What hast thou to give to me ?”
Ah, what a kindly jest was it to open thy palm to a beggar to beg ! I was confused and stood undecided, and then from my wallet I slowly took out the least little grain of corn and gave it to thee.
But how great my surprise when at the day’s end I emptied my bag on the floor to find a least little grain of gold among tho poor heap. I bitterly wept and wished that I had had the heart to give thee my all.
