The Night is Nearly Spent by Rabindranath Tagore (Poem & Summary)

 

The Night is Nearly Spent

by Rabindranath Tagore

(Poem & Summary) 

In this sad poem, the poet talks about how much they want someone special to come. They have been waiting all night, feeling tired and almost falling asleep. They worry that the person might come in the morning but find them sleeping and not knowing.

The poet asks their friends to make sure the way is clear for the person to come and not to stop them. They ask not to be woken up by the usual sounds of nature in the morning, like birds chirping or wind blowing. They want to sleep without any disturbance, even if the person comes unexpectedly.

Sleep is very important to the poet because it will only take the touch of the person to wake them up. They imagine opening their closed eyes and seeing the person's happy smile, like coming out of a dream.

The poet's biggest wish is to see the person as the most beautiful and bright thing, the first thing that brings them joy when they wake up. They want to go back to themselves immediately, which means being with the person again.

Using strong pictures and deep longing, the poet expresses their strong desire for the person's presence and shows how important they are for happiness and fulfillment.

The Night is Nearly Spent

The night is nearly spent waiting for him in vain. I fear lest in the morning he suddenly come to my door when I have fallen asleep wearied out. Oh friends, leave the way open to him ⎯ forbid him not.

If the sound of his steps does not wake me, do not try to rouse me, I pray. I wish not to be called from my sleep by the clamorous choir of birds, by the riot of wind at the festival of morning light. Let me sleep undisturbed even if my lord comes of a sudden to my door.

Ah, my sleep, precious sleep, which only waits for his touch to vanish.

Ah, my closed eyes that would open their lids to the light of his smile when he stands before me like a dream emerging from darkness of sleep.

Let him appear before my sight as the first of all lights and all forms. The first thrill of joy to my awakened soul let it come from his glance. And let my return to myself be immediate return to him.

Summary

The poet talks about wanting to be united with God and saved. He compares this longing to a person waiting for their loved one to wake them up at night. The poet waited all night for God to come, but He didn't. He worries that God might come in the morning when he's already asleep from being tired. The poet asks his friends not to stop him from going home, but to keep the way open for him. He asks that if he doesn't wake up when he hears God's footsteps, they should let him keep sleeping. He only wants to wake up when God comes. He doesn't want to wake up to the loud songs of birds, the blowing wind, or the sounds of dawn. He prays that if God suddenly comes, they should let him keep sleeping.

The poet says that his sleep is valuable, but just a gentle touch from God can wake him up. He wants to wake up with the image of God in front of him, smiling at him, and appearing like a dream in the darkness. The poet wants to see God as the first source of light and life. He wants to feel the first burst of happiness because of God looking at him. And when he turns to himself, he prays that he is turning towards God.

Tagore uses the image of a person waiting for their lover throughout the night to express the poet's strong desire for God. The poet relates to the woman eagerly waiting for her lover and spending the night in the rain. The woman feels anxious and tired, worrying that her lover may come after she falls asleep and they might miss each other. This reflects the poet's fear of missing the opportunity to meet God.

Another beautiful image in the poem is when the woman asks her friends not to wake her up but wants to wake up by listening to her lover's footsteps. The poet also wishes to see God's face first. This desire is emphasized through the imagery, where the woman doesn't want to be awakened by the noise of birds, wind, or light, but by the touch and sound of her lover. It implies that the poet seeks to experience the splendor of God in his spiritual reality.

The poem concludes with the poet returning to himself, which represents returning to God. It expresses the idea that in the search for God, one needs to introspect and realize that God resides within oneself.

The erotic imagery symbolizes the religious and devotional idea. Tagore, disguised as a bride, waits for the arrival of the bridegroom, which represents the imminent, mysterious, and inevitable lover, God. However, she fears that He might come late at night when she's asleep. If that happens, she tells her friends not to wake her up. She wants to be awakened by the footfalls of her lover. If that fails, she prefers that only the lover wakes her up, not anyone else. When the lover wakes her up, the first thing she sees is his face, which she perceives as the brightest and most beautiful. The lover's glance brings the first burst of joy to her soul after awakening. Therefore, the beloved's awakening is also her reunion with her lover.