Gitanjali
A Bengali poem collection that won Tagore the Nobel Prize.
Gitanjali (Bengali: গীতাঞ্জলি, meaning "song offering") is a poetry collection by Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore. Its central theme is devotion, and its motto is "I am here to sing thee songs" (Song No. XV). The work is included in the UNESCO Collection of Representative Works.
Tagore won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 for the English translation, titled *Song Offerings*. This made him the first non-European, the first Asian, and the only Indian to receive that honor.
The original Bengali edition, containing 157 poems, was published on 4 August 1910. Many of these poems were later set to music and became known as Rabindra Sangeet. The English version, *Gitanjali: Song Offerings*, came out in November 1912 through the India Society of London. It consisted of 103 prose poems that Tagore himself translated from Bengali. These translations included 53 poems from the original *Gitanjali* and 50 others drawn from his works *Achalayatan*, *Gitimalya*, *Naibedya*, *Kheya*, and more. The translations were often free, sometimes omitting or altering large sections, and in one case merging two separate poems (song 95, which combines songs 89 and 90 of *Naivedya*). The poems draw on medieval Indian devotional lyrics and share a common theme of love, with some also exploring the tension between material desires and spiritual yearning. The English *Gitanjali* gained popularity in the West and was widely translated into other languages.
Lore & Background
Gitanjali, a collection of poems by Rabindranath Tagore, first appeared in Bengali in 1910, containing 157 poems, many of which were later set to music as Rabindra Sangeet. The English translation, titled *Gitanjali: Song Offerings*, was published in London in November 1912 and consists of 103 prose poems. This version is not a direct translation of the original Bengali collection; it includes translations of 53 poems from the original *Gitanjali* alongside 50 poems drawn from Tagore’s other works, such as *Achalayatan*, *Gitimalya*, *Naibedya*, and *Kheya*. Tagore’s translations were often free and radical, sometimes omitting or altering substantial portions of the original poems, and in one instance merging two separate poems into a single piece. The central theme of the work is devotion, with a motto expressed in the line “I am here to sing thee songs.” The poems are rooted in medieval Indian devotional lyrics, and a common thread of love runs through most of them. Several poems also explore the tension between material desires and spiritual yearning. The English edition earned Tagore the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, making him the first non-European, first Asian, and only Indian to receive that honor. It is also part of the UNESCO Collection of Representative Works.
Reader's Guide
Its English translation, Song Offerings, introduced Western audiences to Tagore's devotional and lyrical poetry, blending medieval Indian devotional traditions with universal themes of love and spiritual yearning. The collection's inclusion in the UNESCO Collection of Representative Works underscores its global cultural significance. Tagore's own English translations were often radical, leaving out or altering large chunks of poems and even fusing two separate poems into one. The English Gitanjali became popular in the West and was widely translated, influencing modern poetry and cross-cultural literary exchange. Its central theme of devotion, encapsulated in the motto 'I am here to sing thee songs' (Song No. XV), continues to resonate with readers worldwide.
Did You Know?
- Tagore's translations were often radical, in one instance fusing two separate poems (song 95 unifies songs 89 and 90 of Naivedya).
- Gitanjali is part of the UNESCO Collection of Representative Works.
More in Poetry Collections And Epic Poems 1-22
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record