Pluck this little flower and take it, delay not ! | Song Offerings, Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore

Pluck this little flower and take it, delay not ! – is a poem in the Rabindranath Tagore’s poetry collection “Song Offerings” or “Gitanjali” in Bengali. Geetanjali is a remarkable book of verses composed by Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), which earned him the Nobel Prize.

It was written originally in Bangla during 1908-1909 and later its English version in prose was published under the title ‘The Song offerings’. It was the first English anthology of Rabindranath published in late 1912 by the India Society of London. On 10 November of the following Year (1913), Rabindranath Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for the book Geetanjali.

This recognition introduced Rabindranath worldwide as an exponent of unique poetic talent. Famous Irish poet W B Yeats wrote the introduction of the English version of Geetanjali. Besides, a pencil sketch of the poet drawn by Rothenstain was published in the book. Rabindranath dedicated Geetanjali to WB Yeats.

Serial Number of the song : 06

Pluck this little flower and take it, delay not !.

PLUCK THIS little flower and take it, delay not!

I fear lest it droop and drop into the dust.

It may not find a place in thy garland,

but honour it with a touch of pain from thy hand and pluck it.

I fear lest the day end before I am aware, and the time of offering go by.

Though its colour he not deep and its smell he faint,

use this flower in thy service and pluck it while there is time.

 

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