The poet of Spain , Juan Ramon Jimenez and his would-be-wife Zenobia Camprubi (1887-1956) first translated Rabindranath's book, The crscent Moon , in Spanish, La Luna Nueva in 1915. They extended their work in other books of Rabinranath and gradually translated The Gardener ( El Jardinero), The Post office (El cartero del Rey, Stray Birds ( Pajaros Perdidos), Fruit Gathering (La Cosecha), Sannyasi (El Asceta), The King and the Queen (El Rey y la Reina ), Gitanjali (Malni, Ofrenda lirica), The Cycle of Spring ( ciclo de la Primaveral) and Hungry Stones (Las Piedras Hambrientas, 2-vols). The last seven books were published in 1918.
In the mean time Juan and Zenobia got married in 1916 and Rabindranath became, without his knowledge , the match -maker between them.
Himenez's translation got popularity in Spain and they earned a lot of money from the publications.
Having come to learn that some Muzzio Saenz-Pena had taken permission from Rabindranath himself and began to publish books of Rabindranath after translating in Madrid and Argentina, Zenobia strongly protested to Macmillan on 14th June. But the information was not correct, Rabindranath did not give permission to any body. Zenobia wrote a long letter to Rabindranath on 13th Aug;
"For so long i have been writing to you in imagination & the letters I have written are so many, that now I actually sit down to write as a fact, I cannot quite realize that this is going to rach you, & I know that it will say nothing at all of all the things I have thought in four years. My husband has always said to me " Do not write,. Dont you see that Rabindranath Tagore does not know us. What will a letter tell him? Wait till the war is over and then we shall go to see him in England, if he is there, if not, in India, to his school, which would be much better." But India is fa away, and time passes and what if we never met and I had lost forever the joy of one direct communication with you? When one thinks of all the wonderful souls thought the ages and wishes that one might have had the blessing of sitting for one moment in their presence , the idea that there is such a soul in the world at present and that one is letting time pass without hastening to touch the hemof his garments is miserable."
Zenobia wrote that she did not inform anything about this letterto his husband - because he will be socked if he did not get any reply.She lived in the same place as father Perarender does and concluded the letter saying that she will be waiting for a reply like Amal did in Dakghar. Due to war she got the reply little late otherwise Rabindranath replied in time;
' I amdeeply touched to know from your delighful letter that i have readers in your country who truly appreciate my writings I believe there is something in the atmosphere and in the physical aspects of your motherland somewhat similar to those in ours which bring my lyrics close to your hearts. And this inspires in me a strong desire to visit your cou try if I am ever able to come to Europe when the war is over."
Rabindranath could not go to Spain though he had completed all the preparation to go there."
