Poet Shankho Ghosh has quoted Ajit Kumar Chakravarty as saying: “There is only one song in Gitimalya about the praise heaped on Tagore by eminent citizens in England. That song is E Manihar Amay Nahi Saje. Can this be counted as a single song? If we look deeper, it is apparent that the all-pervading emotion in the initial parts of Gitimalya comes from a careful sense of securing oneself from excessive praise. Looking at it this way, ‘E Manihar Amay’ is not an isolated song; the songs written six months later express the same feeling.
Lyrics:
এ মণিহার আমায় নাহি সাজে–
এরে পরতে গেলে লাগে, এরে ছিঁড়তে গেলে বাজে ॥
কণ্ঠ যে রোধ করে, সুর তো নাহি সরে–
ওই দিকে যে মন পড়ে রয়, মন লাগে না কাজে ॥
তাই তো বসে আছি,
এ হার তোমায় পরাই যদি তবেই আমি বাঁচি।
ফুলমালার ডোরে বরিয়া লও মোরে–
তোমার কাছে দেখাই নে মুখ মণিমালার লাজে ॥
English translation:
This bejewelled necklace does not befit me
It hurts when I put it on, it jangles when I try to break it
It suffocates me, smothering my voice, the melody goes off-key
It distracts me and I cannot concentrate on my work
This is why I’m waiting
I will be relieved when I can put this necklace on you
Gracefully receive me with a garland of flowers
I am ashamed to face you because of this jewelled necklace.
Some useful information:
Written on: August 24, 1913, at Cheyne Walk, London
Age of the poet: 52
Published in: Gitimalya (1914)
Parjaay (Category): Puja (Worship)
Upa-parjaay (Sub-category): Bibidha (Miscellaneous)
Taal: Ektaal
Raga: Yaman (Iman)
Notation: Ananda Sangeet Patrika; Geetlekha Vol. 3
Swarabitan: Vol. 41
Notation by: Dinendranath Tagore
Purpose of the presentation
Tagore’s music resonates with people from all walks of life. His songs are performed at cultural events, religious ceremonies and social gatherings, reflecting their enduring popularity. In an effort to bring home this treasure trove to the non-Bengali population and Bengalis around the globe, Brainware University offers a selection of Rabindra sangeet in this presentation. It is enriched with details on the songs and relevant anecdotes.
Sung By
Sri Phalguni Mookhopadhayay Chancellor, Brainware University Phalguni Mookhopadhayay is the founder-Chancellor of Brainware University, founder-Chairman and Managing-Director of Brainware Consultancy Private Limited and founder-Chairman of Webguru Infosystems Private Limited. He did his schooling at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur, and graduated with honours in Economics from St Xavier’s College, Kolkata. He completed his masters in Economics from Calcutta University and MBA from IISWBM, before joining Hindustan Lever as a management trainee. He worked as a market planner for the ABP group for nearly a decade before striking out on his own and successfully launching two private limited companies and one University. Phalguni Mookhopadhayay is a self-taught digital artist, a versatile photographer, a filmmaker and a weekend singer who has already recorded 78 songs and is now immersed in a project to popularise Tagore songs among a global audience.
