Art Thou Abroad
by
Rabindra Nath Tagore
(Text & Summary)
In this poem, the poet is the beloved, who is
waiting for her lover, the God. Though her hope is not intense, still she knows
that her lover must be making his way towards her. The atmosphere is dark and
gloomy with the rain beating down, the thunder groaning, making sounds of
despair. But the poet expresses his belief that He is coming.
Art Thou Abroad
Art thou
abroad on this stormy night on thy journey of love, my friend? The sky groans
like one in despair.
I
have no sleep to-night. Ever and again I open my door and look out on the
darkness, my friend!
I
can see nothing before me. I wonder where lies thy path!
By
what dim shore of the ink-black river, by what far edge of the frowning forest,
through what mazy depth of gloom art thou threading thy course to come to me,
my friend?
In
this poem, the poet again casts himself in the role of a beloved waiting for the
lover to come. He says, that God, his friend, on that stormy night, is
wandering on the streets, and coming toward His beloved, who is waiting for Him.
The poet says that the sky was groaning with thunder, making sad and gloomy
sounds. The poet is unable to sleep. He keeps opening his eyes and looking out
of the door into the darkness, to see if God is coming, who is his his friend. In
the darkness the poet cannot see the path, that God is following in this dark
night.
In the
last line Tagore says, that though God is coming towards him but he doesn't
know from which side of the river of eternity or which edge of the angry
looking forest, God is moving towards him.
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