The Gardener 4
Ah me, why did they build my house by the road to the market town?They moor their laden boats near my trees.They come and go and wander at their will.I sit and watch them; my time wears on.Turn them away I cannot. And thus my days pass by.
Night and day their steps sound by my door.Vainly I cry, "I do not know you."Some of them are known to my fingers, some to my nostrils, theblood in my veins seems to know them, and some are known to mydreams.Turn them away I cannot. I call them and say, "Come to my housewhoever chooses. Yes, come."
In the morning the bell rings in the temple.They come with their baskets in their hands.Their feet are rosy red. The early light of dawn is on their faces.Turn them away I cannot. I call them and I say, "Come to my gardento gather flowers. Come hither."
In the mid-day the gong sounds at the palace gate.I know not why they leave their work and linger near my hedge.The flowers in their hair are pale and faded; the notes arelanguid in their flutes.Turn them away I cannot. I call them and say, "The shade is coolunder my trees. Come, friends."
At night the crickets chirp in the woods.Who is it that comes slowly to my door and gently knocks?I vaguely see the face, not a word is spoken, the stillness of thesky is all around.Turn away my silent guest I cannot. I look at the face through thedark, and hours of dreams pass by.
Words in this poem
- whoever pron.
- Whatever person; any person who; be or she who; any one who; as, he shall be punished, whoever he may be.
- gong n.
- A privy or jakes. Chaucer. Gong farmer, Gong man, a cleaner of privies. [AS. gong, gang, a going, passage, drain. See Gang.]
- stillness n.
- The quality or state of being still; quietness; silence; calmness; inactivity.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
The Gardener 4 is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Gardener, translated by the author from the original Bengali (Macmillan, London and New York, 1913; this text the 1915 printing), Project Gutenberg ebook #6686; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Rabindranath Tagore, The Gardener 4, in The Gardener (1913), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #6686, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/tagore-gardener/poem-4.html, id L27640.
About this section
The Gardener 4 is prose, printed in 5 paragraphs. It is part of the edition and is kept for reading, but nothing here is measured: the line breaks are the printer's, so no metre, rhyme scheme or scansion is stated.
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