At the bottom of the translated version, he signed his name, dated it February 28, 1919, and presented it to Dr. He wrote the words in his own beautiful handwriting and named it the Morning Song of India. For a few days, early in the mornings, basking in the winter sun, Tagore sat on a stone-slab under the Gulmohar tree in front of his cottage and went over his Bengali song line by line, finding the equivalent words in English. It was during his stay at the College that Tagore also translated Jana Gana Mana into English. It happened, as so many great events of the spirit do, without anticipation and without collusion.” Cousins in his autobiography states: “It made literary history and carried the name and thought of Tagore into the minds and hearts of millions of young in schools and colleges and outside them and ultimately gave humanity the nearest approach to an ideal national anthem. Thus, the final musical form of his popular Bengali song, Jana Gana Mana became the universally accepted version.Ībout this event, Dr. Tagore responded, saying he appreciated the melody and the efforts of Mrs. Cousins, with the help of her students, to the accompaniment of a few simple musical instruments, rendered the entire song in the presence of Tagore. With the staff and students assembled in the same classrooms, where Tagore had sung, Mrs. When she was ready with the final version of her composition, she spoke to Gurudev and briefed him on the swara she composed. She carefully studied the meaning of each line of the song and composed the musical notes. Cousins worked on the tune for Jana Gana Mana. With the help of the girl students of the College, whom she used to teach music, Mrs. Tagore explained the nuances of the poem and indicated broadly the swara for the song. The next day, she discussed with Tagore the notations and the general theme of the song. She was herself a musician, having taken a degree in music from the University of London. Cousins, who was pleased with the rich thought-content of the poem, decided to give a suitable tune to it. We asked for it again and again, and before long we were singing it with gusto: Jaya hai, Jaya hai, Jaya hai, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya hai (Victory, victory, victory to thee).” The refrain to the second verse made us clear our throats. The refrain to the first verse made us pick up our ears. Cousins recounted, “In a voice surprisingly light for so large a man, he sang something like a piece of geography giving a list of countries, mountains and rivers and in the second verse a list of the religions in India. Writing about how the song was first heard by them as sung by Tagore himself, Dr. Tagore, who joined the gathering, asked if he might sing one of his poems. Cousins to hold informal meetings called “sing-song, fun sessions” with the college community every Wednesday night after dinner. It was sung with many different regional variations. Till then the song never had a uniform tune. Cousins, whose poetry in English he always admired.ĭuring Tagore’s stay in Madanapalle, Jana Gana Mana was given the melody to which it is now sung all over the country. Tagore also felt happy to be in the company of Dr. When it was suggested that the quiet atmosphere at Madanapalle College as the right place to rest, Tagore was only too happy, for he felt that he would be with the staff and students of the College affiliated to the National University. Rabindranath Tagore was the Chancellor of the University. She got it affiliated to the National University at Madras, which was newly organised by the Society for the Promotion of National Education, (SPNE). Ernest Wood, educationist and a close follower of Dr. Besant named the college “Wood National College,” after Prof. Besant’s involvement in the freedom movement prompted the Government to cancel its affiliation to Madras University. ![]() ![]() Andrews, he decided to rest at the Theosophical College in Madanapalle, about 120 km southeast of Bangalore.īesides several firsts of national importance, Madanapalle also had a first grade college started by Annie Besant in 1915. Tagore was on a tour of South India and was very tired when he reached Bangalore in the last week of February 1919.
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