One Everlasting Thing
I am the happiest person in the world. And that is because of you. You know this, and I know I don’t have to repeat it, but you know, too, that I need to say it over and over again; and you know that I need to tell everyone about it. I am the happiest person in the world because of you. Even before we met, I had been the happiest person in the world, because I was destined to meet you one day. Who can explain the day we met, the days that came afterward, and the days that are still to come? I can’t do that. I mean the day we met was a normal day, and we were normal people, but what was happening was extraordinary, and I couldn’t realize that. And on the day that we met, I had no idea what was about to happen at all. I had no idea how happy a person I was. I didn’t know, because I was dull. You could say that I still am. I mean I still do not know the true extent of it. Perhaps that is true. But now, I know one thing, I know that, because of you, I am the happiest person in the world. I know I am. Even now that you are gone.
I came upon this poem by Rabindranath Tagore very recently. I find it amazing, and relevant. So I put it here. I have taken it from Gitanjali, a collection of English prose translations made by Tagore himself from the original Bengali manuscript, published by UBS Publishers’ Distributors Pvt. Ltd., 2003, p. 9. The brackets are added by me.
Life of my life, I shall ever try
to keep my body pure, knowing that thy living touch
is upon all my limbs.
I shall ever try to keep all untruths out from my thoughts,
knowing that thou art that truth which has kindled
the light of reason in my mind.
I shall ever try to drive all evils away from my heart
and keep my love in flower[s], knowing that thou hast thy seat
in the inmost shrine of my heart.
And it shall be my endeavor to reveal thee in my actions,
knowing it is thy power [that] gives me strength to act.
(Rabindranath Tagore)
