O Fool, Try to Carry
by
Rabindranath Tagore
(Summary)
This song is from Rabindra Nath Tagore's
famous book Gitanjali. In these lines the poet is actually advising man not to
carry the burden of existence on his own shoulders through his own mistakes; he
chides man for acting like a beggar, whom God created in His own image; Tagore
urges man to give all his burdens to the Creator.
O Fool, try
to carry thyself upon thy own shoulders!
O Fool, try to carry
thyself upon thy own shoulders!
O beggar, to come beg
at thy own door!
Leave all thy burdens
on his hands who can bear all,
and never look behind
in regret.
Thy desire at once
puts out the light from the lamp it touches with its breath.
It is unholy - take
not thy gifts through its unclean hands.
Accept
only what is offered by sacred love.
Summary
In this
lyric, Tagore tells his readers, that man is foolish because he tries to carry
himself and all his burdens by himself. He is like that foolish beggar, who
begs at his own door. Man should leave all his burdens at God's feet because God
is able to take care of everything. A man, who leaves everything to God, never
looks back in regret.
The
Poet says, that desires corrupt the man and put out the light of his spiritual
life. According to Tagore, desire is unholy and exhorts man that gifts tainted
by desire should not be accepted. Man should gratefully accept all that God
gives with sacred love.
In the
poem, Tagore wishes to convey God is the supreme master and he carries the
burden of the entire universe. Man should leave all his cares and worries and
give himself up to God and he shall never regret having done so. According to
the poet, the desires are false and wicked. Man should be free of all desires
to accept God's beautiful gifts. Man must resign himself entirely at God's
hands.
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