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by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
Translation by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)

Let your work be, bride. Listen, the...
Language: English  after the Bangla (Bengali) 
Let your work be, bride.  Listen, the guest has come.
Do you hear, he is gently shaking the chain 
which fastens the door?
See that your anklets make no loud noise, 
and that your step is not over-hurried at meeting him.
Let your work be, bride, the guest has come in the evening.

No, it is not the ghostly wind, bride, do not be frightened.
It is the full moon on a night of April; 
shadows are pale in the courtyard; 
the sky overhead is bright.
Draw your veil over your face if you must, 
carry the lamp to the door if you fear.
No, it is not the ghostly wind, bride, 
do not be frightened.

Have no word with him if you are shy; 
stand aside by the door when you meet him.
If he asks you questions, and if you wish to, 
you can lower your eyes in silence.
Do not let your bracelets jingle when, 
lamp in hand, you lead him in.
Have no word with him if you are shy.

Have you not finished your work yet, bride?
Listen, the guest has come.
Have you not lit the lamp in the cowshed?
Have you not got ready the offering basket 
for the evening service?
Have you not put the red lucky mark 
at the parting of your hair,
and done your toilet for the night?
O bride, do you hear, the guest has come?
Let your work be!

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in The Gardener, no. 10 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941) [text unavailable]
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-11-08
Line count: 31
Word count: 242

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