On many an idle day have I grieved over lost time (Song 81) by Rabindranath Tagore (Poem, Summary & Analysis)

 

On many an idle day have I grieved over lost time (Song 81) by Rabindranath Tagore (Poem, Summary & Analysis) 

On many an idle day have I grieved over lost time. But it is never lost, my lord. Thou hast taken every moment of my life in thine own hands.

Hidden in the heart of things thou art nourishing seeds into sprouts, buds into blossoms, and ripening flowers into fruitfulness.

I was tired and sleeping on my idle bed and imagined all work had ceased. In the morning I woke up and found my garden full with wonders of flowers.

On many an idle day have I grieved over lost time. But it is never lost, my lord. Thou hast taken every moment of my life in thine own hands.

 

Summary

The poem shares a hopeful message. The poet feels sad about losing time and having moments of failure. But later, he understands that no time is really wasted because God is in control of everything. God takes care of all the work happening in nature. He makes seeds grow into plants, buds turn into flowers, and flowers become ripe fruits. God rewards every hard effort, so people shouldn't be upset when their work doesn't seem to succeed. God is kind and caring, always thinking about what’s good for people. Everything is growing and becoming fruitful because of His blessings. The poet experiences something special—he feels tired and falls asleep, thinking everything has stopped. But when he wakes up, he sees the garden is full of beautiful flowers.

 

Critical Analysis

God cares for everyone. He loves all the people He created. God blesses our hard work and gives us success. We shouldn’t be sad about times when things don’t go well. We will get rewarded for those moments later in life. Sooner or later, everyone gets rewarded for their efforts. In the end, the poet says that when he feels tired and out of ideas, God helps him. God’s touch gives him new, beautiful thoughts. His mind becomes like a garden full of sweet, bright, and wonderful flowers.

"On many an idle day have I grieved over last time. But it is never lost, my Lord. Thou hast taken every moment of my life in thine own hand hands."

People can only see what is around them, and this can make them feel unhappy. God's ways are hard to understand. Sometimes, a poet may feel like he wasted his day and that he did nothing. But he learns that no time is ever really wasted, even if he feels like he didn’t do anything. God uses every moment of a person's life in a special way. For example, a person might just notice flowers blooming in their garden one morning, not knowing that seeds have been growing and preparing underground. People should never feel sad or lose hope.