Lyric and background history of song bhubanjora asankhani

Parjaay: Puja (352)

Upa-parjaay: Bishwa

Taal: Teyora

Raag: Behag

Written on: 1916 (8 Jaishtha 1323)

Place: Tosamaru, China sea

Swarabitan: 16 (Geetapanchashika)

Notation by: Dinendranath Tagore

Notes: This song was written on 21st May, 1916 while on voyage by a ship named ‘Tosamaru’ to America via Japan sailing across China Sea.

Rabindranath had set sail to America via Japan by a ship named ‘Tosamaru’ in the year 1916. He was accompanied by Andrews, Pearson and a young student Mukul Dey. While sailing to Hongkong from Singapore at night the ship had encountered a violent storm. Rabindranath had described the storm in a number of his writings. Memories of singing songs and composing songs in the stormy weather. The first description that we get is from the letter written to Rathindranath, his son, on 9th Jaishtha, 1323B –

… It has been raining and a bad weather since yesterday. The ship failed to reach Hongkong in the morning. May be it would reach on the second half.

Generally I avoid sleeping inside the cabin – it has become a habit to sleep on the deck and I feel choked down there. It started raining and I could not find a roof to hide my head. I had spent sometime to position my bed, in vain – at last stood on the deck holding the railing and started singing songs. At about half past one I came down to sleep in the cabin as there wasn’t other option. …

He has written in ‘Japan-jatri’ –

9th Jaishtha. … It was raining all night yesterday; my bed wasn’t burdened by me, instead it was me to carry it from one side of the deck to another in search of a safe refuge. At about twelve thirty I decided not to confront with the heavy weather and merrily accept it. I entuned with the wet air and started singing ‘Shaboner dhaarar moto poruk jhore’. I had sung quite few songs even composed a new one, although, at last it was this human being to accept defeat in the duel between the poet and the weather. My enthuciasm fell short; how do I challenge air-power of the sky, nevertheless, my frantic poeticism seemed strong enough.

He wrote in a letter to Dinendranath Tagore on the same day –

… It started raining yesterday night. There wasn’t a place to sleep on the deck. Standing on a small dry place half the night had elapsed singing. At first it was ‘Shaboner dharar moto…’, then ‘Beena Baajao …’ then ‘Purno Aanondo …’. But when the drizzling started to challenge me I started a new song. At last I retired to the cabin for sleep at 1:30. I remembered the song till the morning (find enclosed), it was in ‘Behag, Teyora’. You may try to apply your melody, let me see if it matches with mine. Meanwhile I’ll help Pearson and Mukul to learn the song. Mukul isn’t a bad singer at all. …

The song in context is ‘Bhubanojora Aasonokhani…’. Next year this song was sung by Rabindranath at Shantiniketan after the prayer session on the year-ending.