The presidential address delivered by Yeats had been recorded in extended form in the introduction of Gitanjali.The Bengali translation of the reply given by Rabindranath against this ovation was published in "Pravasi" in Bhadra issue in the title "England-e Sahitya-Samrat Rabindranath-er Sambardhana". The reply was as follows:The ideas Rabindranth tried to develop in his Gitanjali are, 1. the relation between East and West, 2. the relation between the people of East and West with the universal humanity, and 3. the relation of human being with the supreme soul.
Yeats recited three poems. Two of which were published in "The Times" on 13th July;
1. I was not aware of the moment when I first crossed the threshhold of this life (no.95), and 2. In the deep shadows of the rainy July,
This was the first occasion when Rabindranath's own translation was published in "a foreign paper" .
The other one was taken from "Kheya"--Anabashyak ( "Kasher Bane Sunya Nadir Tire") On the slope of the desolate river among tall grasses I asked her." This news was published in "Modern Review" on Nov 1912 under the head "Inutile"with comments by the editor M,R. as "This prose translation of one of his poems was one of the three read at the dinner given to Mr.Tagore in London in July last"
Rathindranat wrote;
"while replying to the toasts my father (Rabindranath) recited a few unpublished poems, and at the end when he sang in Bengali the national song "Vande Mataram", everybody rose and remained standing." He also wrote to mira and Nagendra describing in details the programme on that evening in English and added ,"Mr. Rothenstein has done some very fine drawing of father's -- one of which I am having reproduced here and will shortly send you out a thousand copies". He thoght it to be given on the cover of his book "Jibansmriti" but that was already sent to press. It was used in the cover of Gitanjali.
He added, "we are going to-night to Cambridge to spend the week-end there. Father has been invited by Mr. Dickinson (the author of John Chinaman), But we are going to stay with a Quaker family.My father has some connoisseur there.The retired civillian James Drummond Anderson(1852-1920) was then professor of Bengali in Cambridge University. He was present in the felicitation of Tagore arranged by India Society. When he heard that Rabindranath had come to London he became eager to meet him. But as he was busy otherwise and for want of available space in his house he could not invite him. He wrote to Rothenstein;
"I hope, however, that the poet would visit Cambridge when work begins again --after 4th July -- and we shall be proud and pleased to do him honour ... There are many here who would be glad to make his acquaintance , amongst them -- the professor of Arabic, who has heard much about him, and only from me.
Having read, "Letters of John Chanaman" written by \the historian and fellow of King's College of Cambridge, Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson (1862-1932), Rabindranath wrote an essay titled "Chinamaner Chithi". Due to his eagerness Rothenstein made arrangements for introducing him with Rabindranath.
Rabindranath described his experience after meeting him (Mr.Dickinson);
" I saw the writer - he is not a Chinese; but he is imaginative and hence he is a global man. For two days we stayed with him and have interactions with him always.As waves mix up with waves very easily, we too were flooded with thoughts simultaneously. After some time a professor of Mathematics came -- their dialogue also inspired me like anything.The heat generated from the discussion in Mathematics, sometimes, dried up the feelings of some persons -- sometimes enlightened one's mind. Here the mind of Mr. Russel is well lit by the dazzling light generated from the discussion of Mathematics. Sufficient signs of delight mixed with the dazzling light made me amazing. After dinner we used to take our seat in the garden where I met their discussions at about 11 pm in the old woods of the garden...."
