Obstinate are The Trammels by Rabindra Nath Tagore (Text & Summary)

 

Obstinate are The Trammels

by Rabindra Nath Tagore

(Text & Summary) 

In this poem (Gitanjali Poem No. 28), Tagore presents himself struggling against his worldly ties and for his divine longings. He longs for God; he loves his worldly ties too making it difficult and painful for him to leave them behind. He prays to God for good but then the conflict within him makes him tremble that God may grant his wish, for then he shall have to give up his worldly possessions and ties.

 

Obstinate are The Trammels

Obstinate are the trammels, but my heart aches when I try to break them.

Freedom is all I want, but to hope for it I feel ashamed.

I am certain that priceless wealth is in thee, and that thou art my best friend, but I have not the heart to sweep away the tinsel that fills my room.

The shroud that covers me is a shroud of dust and death; I hate it, yet hug it in love. My debts are large, my failures great, my shame secret and heavy; yet when I come to ask for my good, I quake in fear lest my prayer be granted.

 

In this poem, Tagore talks about how man wants to be free from all his worldly chains but his heart aches when he tries to do so. He says that these chains are hard and his heart pains in attempting to break away. The poet wants freedom but feels shy and ashamed in wishing for it. He believes that in God there is boundless wealth and that God is the most beloved friend of man but man is fond of the glitter and glamour of worldly life and so cannot muster up the courage to do away with these.

The poet says, that a shroud of dust and death covers him. He hates it but also hugs it in love. The poet owes a great deal to God. He has many failures in life, the shames he carries in secret are heavy. But when he comes to ask God for his good, he trembles in fear that God may grant him his wish.