Amar Shonar Bangla
Encyclopedia
Amar Shonar Bangla (Bengali
:আমার সোনার বাংলা) is a 1905 song written and composed by the Bengali
poet Rabindranath Tagore
(defender of an undivided India
), the first ten lines of which were adopted in 1972 as the Bangladesh
i national anthem
. It is of interest that another poem by Rabindranath Tagore
(Jana Gana Mana
) is the national anthem of India, making him the only person to have penned national anthems of two nations.
The word shonar literally means 'made of gold', but in the song shonar Bangla may be interpreted to either express the preciousness of Bengal or a reference to the colour of paddy field
s before harvest.
The song was written in 1905 during the period of Bongobhanga (Bôngobhôngo - 1905 Partition of Bengal) - when the ruling British empire had the province of Bengal
(of undivided India
) split into two parts; the decision on the Partition of Bengal
was announced on 19 July 1905 by then Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon. The partition took effect on 16 October 1905. This divide of Bengal was along communal lines — East Bengal had a majority of Muslims, while West Bengal had a majority of Hindus. This partition is claimed to have undermined India's national movement against British imperialism, and is said to have been politically motivated. This song, along with a host of others, was written by Tagore, a pioneer of the cultural and political movement against this partition. These songs were meant to rekindle the unified spirit of Bengal, to raise public consciousness against the communal, political divide.
The lyrics first appeared in the September issues of "Bongodorshon" and "Baul" simultaneously, in 1905. The song along with the musical notation (referred to as swaralipi in Bengali), first appeared in the periodical musical journal Shongeet Biggnan Probeshika in the same month and year. Indira Devi, Tagore's niece, Satyendranath Tagore's daughter, jotted down the musical notation hearing it from Tagore himself (this was the common norm, Tagore singing the song, and someone formally jotting down the musical notations). It is said that the music of this song was inspired by the Baul
singer Gagan Harkara's song "Ami Kothay Pabo Tare". (Bengali
:কোথায় পাবো তারে)^
The first 10 lines of this song constitute the national anthem
of Bangladesh
. It was adopted in 1972 after the independence of Bangladesh. The English translation was done by Syed Ali Ahsan.
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
:আমার সোনার বাংলা) is a 1905 song written and composed by the Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
poet Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
(defender of an undivided India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
), the first ten lines of which were adopted in 1972 as the Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
. It is of interest that another poem by Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
(Jana Gana Mana
Jana Gana Mana
Jana Gana Mana is the national anthem of India. Written in highly Sanskritized Bengali, it is the first of five stanzas of a Brahmo hymn composed and scored by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. It was first sung at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress on 27 December 1911...
) is the national anthem of India, making him the only person to have penned national anthems of two nations.
The word shonar literally means 'made of gold', but in the song shonar Bangla may be interpreted to either express the preciousness of Bengal or a reference to the colour of paddy field
Paddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
s before harvest.
The song was written in 1905 during the period of Bongobhanga (Bôngobhôngo - 1905 Partition of Bengal) - when the ruling British empire had the province of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
(of undivided India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) split into two parts; the decision on the Partition of Bengal
Partition of Bengal (1905)
The decision of the Partition of Bengal was announced on 19 July 1905 by the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon. The partition took effect on 16 October 1905...
was announced on 19 July 1905 by then Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon. The partition took effect on 16 October 1905. This divide of Bengal was along communal lines — East Bengal had a majority of Muslims, while West Bengal had a majority of Hindus. This partition is claimed to have undermined India's national movement against British imperialism, and is said to have been politically motivated. This song, along with a host of others, was written by Tagore, a pioneer of the cultural and political movement against this partition. These songs were meant to rekindle the unified spirit of Bengal, to raise public consciousness against the communal, political divide.
The lyrics first appeared in the September issues of "Bongodorshon" and "Baul" simultaneously, in 1905. The song along with the musical notation (referred to as swaralipi in Bengali), first appeared in the periodical musical journal Shongeet Biggnan Probeshika in the same month and year. Indira Devi, Tagore's niece, Satyendranath Tagore's daughter, jotted down the musical notation hearing it from Tagore himself (this was the common norm, Tagore singing the song, and someone formally jotting down the musical notations). It is said that the music of this song was inspired by the Baul
Baul
Baul .Though Bauls comprise only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.-Etymology:The origin of the word...
singer Gagan Harkara's song "Ami Kothay Pabo Tare". (Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
:কোথায় পাবো তারে)^
The first 10 lines of this song constitute the national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. It was adopted in 1972 after the independence of Bangladesh. The English translation was done by Syed Ali Ahsan.
Lyrics
| Bangla (Bengali) script Bengali script The Bengali alphabet is the writing system for the Bengali language. The script with variations is used for Assamese and is basis for Meitei, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Kokborok, Garo and Mundari alphabets. All these languages are spoken in the eastern region of South Asia. Historically, the script has... |
Transliteration | Literal translation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| আমার সোনার বাংলা আমার সোনার বাংলা, আমি তোমায় ভালবাসি> |
Amar sonar Bangla Ami tomay bhalobashi |
My beloved Bengal My Bengal of Gold, I love you. |
|
চিরদিন তোমার আকাশ, তোমার বাতাস আমার প্রাণে বাজায় বাঁশি। |
Chirodin tomar akash, Tomar batash, Amar prane bajae bãshi. |
Forever your skies, Your air set my heart in tune As if it were a flute. |
|
ও মা, ফাগুনে তোর আমের বনে ঘ্রাণে পাগল করে-- মরি হায়, হায় রে ও মা, অঘ্রানে তোর ভরা খেতে, আমি কী দেখেছি মধুর হাসি।। |
O ma, Phagune tor amer bone Ghrane pagol kôre, Mori hae, hae re, O ma, Ôghrane tor bhôra khete Ami ki dekhechhi modhur hashi. |
In spring, O mother mine, The fragrance from your mango groves Makes me wild with joy, Ah, what a thrill! In autumn, O mother mine, In the full blossomed paddy fields I have seen spread all over sweet smiles. |
|
কী শোভা, কী ছায়া গো, কী স্নেহ, কী মায়া গো,-- কী আঁচল বিছায়েছ বটের মূলে, নদীর কূলে কূলে। |
Ki shobha, ki chhaya go, Ki sneho, ki maea go, Ki ãchol bichhaeechho Bôţer mule, Nodir kule kule. |
Ah, what beauty, what shades, What an affection, and what tenderness! What a quilt have you spread At the feet of banyan trees And along the banks of rivers! |
|
মা, তোর মুখের বাণী আমার কানে লাগে সুধার মতো- |
Ma, tor mukher bani Amar kane lage Sudhar moto- |
Are like nectar to my ears. Ah, what a thrill! If sadness, O mother mine, Casts a gloom on your face, My eyes are filled with tears! |
|
| মা তোর বদন খানি মলিন হলে | Ma tor bodonkhani molin hole ami noyon o may ami noyonjole bhashi sonar bangla, ami tomay bhalobashi! |
But black parents face when khani I was struck My eyes filled with tears and Special Bengali, I love you |