Where Dost Thou Stand Behind by Rabindranath Tagore (Text & Summary)

 

Where Dost Thou Stand Behind

by Rabindranath Tagore

(Text & Summary) 

In this poem, the poet is a poor bride who waits for her Prince, God to come and love her. She has nothing to offer Him as the flowers she had gathered had been taken away by passersby. People mock and smile at her and she is filled with shame. The poem is an in tensely passionate expression of the poet's love and devotion for God. The poet expresses his deep faith, that he shall one day achieve salvation and be blessed.

 

Where Dost Thou Stand Behind

Where dost thou stand behind them all, my lover, hiding thyself in the shadows? They push thee and pass thee by on the dusty road, taking thee for naught. I wait here weary hours spreading my offerings for thee, while passersby come and take my flowers, one by one, and my basket is nearly empty.

 

The morning time is past, and the noon. In the shade of evening my eyes are drowsy with sleep. Men going home glance at me and smile and fill me with shame. I sit like a beggar maid, drawing my skirt over my face, and when they ask me, what it is I want, I drop my eyes and answer them not.

 

Oh, how, indeed, could I tell them that for thee I wait, and that thou hast promised to come. How could I utter for shame that I keep for my dowry this poverty. Ah, I hug this pride in the secret of my heart.

 

I sit on the grass and gaze upon the sky and dream of the sudden splendour of thy coming--all the lights ablaze, golden pennons flying over thy car, and they at the roadside standing agape, when they see thee come down from thy seat to raise me from the dust, and set at thy side this ragged beggar girl a-tremble with shame and pride, like a creeper in a summer breeze.

 

But time glides on and still no sound of the wheels of thy chariot. Many a procession passes by with noise and shouts and glamour of glory. Is it only thou who wouldst stand in the shadow silent and behind them all? And only I who would wait and weep and wear out my heart in vain longing?

 

Summary

In this poem, Tagore expresses his longing for God. In the poem, the poet is a beggar maid, who is waiting for her prince and lover to take her away. The poet asks the lover God, why He stood behind all, hiding Himself in the shadows. He is pushed and passed and taken for nothing. The poet, who is God’s beloved waits for hours for Him. People have taken away all her flowers one by one.

The morning and the afternoon have passed and in the darkening light of the evening the beloved feels drowsy with sleep. People, seeing the beloved (the poet), sitting at the side of the road, smile and this fills the poet with shame. The poet is sitting like a beggar girl who hides her face by drawing her skirt over her face. The poet does not answer the questions of people because he cannot tell them that he was waiting for God. He has nothing to offer God but his poverty and yet this is a matter of pride that the poet hugs and holds Him close to his heart.

The poet, then sits on the grass and looking at the sky, dreams of God coming to him with all His splendour. He shall come with his golden flags flying over this chariot. When God shall come down from His chariot and raise the poet from the earth, everyone will be surprised. When God shall set him beside himself, the poet shall tremble with the great glory conferred on him.

The poet says, that time passes on slowly but there is no sound of God's chariot coming near. Many processions pass by with loud noises and glory. Then the poet finally questions if He would thus remain hiding in the shadows silently and cries if he were to be the only one left waiting for Him, crying his heart out and long for God's presence.