I have got my leave. Bid me farewell, my brothers! (song 93) by Rabindranath Tagore (poem, summary & analysis)

 

I have got my leave. Bid me farewell, my brothers! (song 93) by Rabindranath Tagore (poem, summary & analysis) 

I have got my leave. Bid me farewell, my brothers! I bow to you all and take my departure.

Here I give back the keys of my door - and I give up all claims to my house. I only ask for last kind words from you.

We were neighbours for long, but I received more than I could give. Now the day has dawned and the lamp that lit my dark corner is out. A summons has come and I am ready for my journey.

I have got my leave. Bid me farewell, my brothers! I bow to you all and take my departure.

 

Summary

The poem says goodbye to the joys of life on Earth. The poet feels it's time to leave the material world and softly says farewell to his "brothers," or fellow humans. He lets go of all his possessions and wants to return the key to his life. He understands that material things won’t help him on his journey to the afterlife. Instead, he needs kind words, good wishes, and blessings from his loved ones. He realizes he has received much more love and care from those around him than he has given. Now, the day has come for his final journey into eternity, and he is ready for this spiritual path.

 

Critical Analysis

The same theme keeps coming up in his lyrics, which can feel boring. He keeps showing the same image of Death over and over. However, his choice of words is joyful and simple, which keeps people interested. Readers can explore the same idea but see it in a new way. This is the magic of his poetry.

"We were neighbours for long, but I received more thanI could give. Now the day has dawned and the lamp that it my dark corner is out. A summon has come and I am ready for my journey."

The poet is getting ready for his final journey, and he says goodbye to his friends, whom he calls brothers. He tells them that he has received much more from them than he could ever give back. Now, he is letting go of his worldly desires and only asks for some kind words as he leaves. He mentions that he has lived among them for a long time, and they have all been very kind to him, but he feels he hasn’t been able to repay their kindness fully. Now, he must go because he has been called by a higher power. The night, which represents his life, has ended, and the light that shone in his little part of the world has gone out, meaning he has lost his life and energy. He is now ready to meet his spiritual love.