News about Tagore’s song confusing, says scholar Sankha Ghosh

The “new song” of Rabindranath Tagore, claimed to have been found recently, is “rather confusing information,” said West Bengal’s eminent writer and scholar of Tagore’s works, Sankha Ghosh.

Talking to The Hindu about the poem —There Are Numerous Strings in a Lute — Mr. Ghosh said the fact that “the song has a tune and is set in western classical musical tradition by Tagore himself is exciting information.”

‘Published in 1918’

“But, if this information gives out an impression that the poem was found for the first time, then it would be erroneous. [Because], in 1918, it was published in a book of poems called Crossing. It was the 68th poem in the collection,” said Mr. Ghosh.

‘Performed in schools’

He also added that the song, There Are Numerous Strings in a Lute, was performed in the past in some christian missionary schools as a prayer song. “However, those who performed it were perhaps not aware that it was composed by Tagore,” he said.

On March 21, Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata hosted a programme in collaboration with Hindusthan Record, where the song was unveiled. The programme, titled ‘Numerous Strings’, was listed on their website.

It was noted that the event was the “first live performance of the recently discovered English songs composed by Rabindranath Tagore in the Western Musical tradition.”

“Perhaps it [the event announcement] gave an impression that the poem or the song was released for the first time. I think it was a misunderstood leading to some confusion,” Mr. Ghosh said.

Mr. Ghosh received the country’s highest literary award Jnanpith in 2016.