Happy Independence Day Folks !!

Wish all of you a very happy Indian Independence day! Hope we all keep the spirit alive, as it has been all these 58 years.

Once while in 8th standard, I had received a huge poster just before 15th August which contained the English translations of our National Anthem and the National Song written vertically, alongside each other. The publishers were some national society and a copy had been put up in one of our classroom walls. I had been amazed at how beautifully the wordings had been translated, and it had been a re-realization then on how strong emotions even the English wordings stir in you once you read them. Maybe some years later, I got to know of the translator, and it reassured me that it took the genius of Shri Aurobindo to translate the most two important poems of our nations struggle into such beautiful poetry.

I present one before you. The first stanza of vande Mataram, by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, which has the status of being our national song. Its from the irrepressible Anandamath, first published in 1882.


Vande Mataram !

I bow to thee, Mother ! (Vande Mataram)
Richly-watered, Richly-fruited , (Sujalam, Suphalam)
Cool with the winds of the south, (Malayaja Sheetalam)
Dark with the crops of harvests, (ShasyaShyamalam)
The Mother ! (Mataram !)


Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight (Subhrajyotsnam, Pulakitayaminim!)
Her lands clothed beautifully, (Fullakusumita Drumadala Shobhinim.)
with her trees in flowering bloom

Sweet of laughter, Sweet of speech (Suhasinim, Sumadhura Bhashinim)
Giver of boons, Giver of bliss. (Sukhadam, varadam )
The Mother ! (Mataram !)


Wish you all a very Happy Independence Day !!