Friday, October 7, 2011

Rabindranath in Hampstead

Hampstead is an area of London, England, 4 miles (6.4 km) north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. It has some of the most expensive housing in the London area, or indeed anywhere in the world, with large houses selling for up to £50m (2008). The village of Hampstead has more millionaires within its boundaries than any other area of the United Kingdom
 Rabindranath stayed in that boarding house for some days.Then they got a small house on rent for six weeks. Rathindranath wrote Nagendranath,
" We hired a house on rent for 6 weeks at Hampstead Heath. It was too much expensive in a private hotel."
Rabindranath also wrote Madhurilata ( 21 Jun Hampstead),
"We have hired a small house and are trying to establish our household here. We have picked up Kedar, and Rathi has gone out with him". The address of this new house was 3 Villas on Heath/Vale of Heath/ Hampstead/London NW.
Sukumar Ray wrote his father Upendrakishore,
"I went to meet Rabibabu in the morning. The place , they live, is very beautiful. It seemed that it is far away from London. It is hilly with high crests and troughs. There are trees and hills here and there. But the place is calm and quiet. The house of Rothenstein is very near to this place."
Somendra Chandra Devbarma and Kedar Nath Dasgupta stayed with them in Hampstead.
Rabindranath wrote Mira Devi describing their life style there;
" My daughter-in-law (Bauma) has started her new house here and gradually getting contacts with the working boys and girls. They are so accomplished that we are filling quite comfortable. We have hired a complete house from yesterday and hope that we shall be alright here. Somendra is with us. Bauma is visiting many places here. I don't get inspired in moving here and there. I am quite absorbed here with the people of this place. I am busy with parties day and night. But I am not accustomed. They are so heartily, I can't help accepting their welcoming attitude. We have hired the house for six weeks and then we shall move to some other place.
I can't say that my Bauma is the head of the house hold affairs here because Kedar Dasgupta is doing every household affairs. He is living here with us."
While living in foreign, Rabindranath did not feel writing anything, specially poetries, in Bengali. But the natural scenery of this place was so beautiful that he was charmed and wrote two poems in Bengali.
On 23 June, he wrote, "Taba Rabikara ase Kara Barhaia" , and on 25th June, "Sundara bate taba angadakhani"  and he mentioned the place of the two poetries as ' The Heath/ Two Halford Road/Hampstead.' Not only he wrote the two poetries in Bengali, he translated those poems into English and sent a letter to Rothenstein enclosing the above two poems translated into English.
" I send you some more of my poems rendered into English. They are far too simple to bear the strain of translation but I know you will understand them through their faded meanings."
These two poems belonged to the 8 poems of Gitanjali which were missing.
Ajit Kumar Chakraborty sent a poem similar to that "Taba Rabikara..." to Rabindranath in English after receiving the former.