Amar Sonar Bangla

Amar Sonar Bangla

English: My Golden Bengal
আমার সোনার বাংলা
National anthem of Bangladesh
Lyrics	Rabindranath Tagore, 1905
Music	Gagan Harkara, 1889 (arranged by Samar Das, in 1972)
Adopted	10 April 1971 (provisional) 26 March 1972 (official)
Audio sample
U.S. Navy Band instrumental version file help

"Amar Sonar Bangla" (Bengali: আমার সোনার বাংলা, lit. 'My Golden Bengal', pronounced [ˈamaɾ ˈʃonaɾ ˈbaŋla]) is the national anthem of Bangladesh. An ode to Mother Bengal, the lyrics were written by Bengali polymath Rabindranath Tagore in 1905, while the melody is derived from Baul singer Gagan Harkara's "Ami Kothay Pabo Tare", set to Dadra tala. The modern instrumental rendition was arranged by Bangladeshi musician Samar Das.

Etymology

The word amar is a possession meaning "my" or "mine" and the word sonar is the adjectival form of the root word sona, meaning "gold". sonar literally means "made of gold" or "golden", but it is used as a term of endearment meaning "beloved", but in the song the words Sonar Bangla may be interpreted to express the preciousness of Bengal.

History

Main article: Partition of Bengal (1905)

Rabindranath Tagore, writer of the song in 1905

The song was written in 1905 during the first partition of Bengal, when the ruling British Empire had an undivided province of Bengal Presidency split into two parts; the decision was announced on 20 July by the then-Viceroy of India Lord Curzon, taking effect on 16 October. This divide of Bengal, being along communal lines–East Bengal and Assam having a majority of Muslims and West Bengal having a majority of Hindus–is claimed to have been politically motivated. Along with a host of others, songs such as this were meant to rekindle the unified spirit of Bengal, to raise public consciousness against the communal political divide. The lyrics first appeared in the September issues of Bongodorshon and Baul simultaneously, in 1905. The song along with the musical notation (referred to as swaralipi in Bengali), first appeared in the periodical musical journal Shongeet Biggnan Probeshika in the same month and year. Indira Devi, Tagore's niece, Satyendranath Tagore's daughter, jotted down the musical notation hearing it from Tagore himself (this was the common norm, Tagore singing the song, and someone formally jotting down the musical notations).

Official adaption

The first ten lines of the original poem constitute the most commonly sung version of Bangladesh's national anthem, adopted in 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War. The instrumental orchestra rendition was composed by Samar Das.

Lyrics

The following provides the lyrics of "Amar Sonar Bangla" as written by Rabindranath Tagore. Only the first ten bolded lines of the original lyrics are sung as Bangladesh's national anthem.

Bengali original	Romanisation of Bengali	IPA transcription	English translation
আমার সোনার বাংলা, আমি তোমায় ভালোবাসি। চিরদিন তোমার আকাশ, তোমার বাতাস, আমার প্রাণে বাজায় বাঁশি॥ ও মা, ফাগুনে তোর আমের বনে ঘ্রাণে পাগল করে, মরি হায়, হায় রে— ও মা, অঘ্রাণে তোর ভরা ক্ষেতে আমি কী দেখেছি মধুর হাসি॥ কী শোভা, কী ছায়া গো, কী স্নেহ, কী মায়া গো— কী আঁচল বিছায়েছ বটের মূলে, নদীর কূলে কূলে। মা, তোর মুখের বাণী আমার কানে লাগে সুধার মতো, মরি হায়, হায় রে— মা, তোর বদনখানি মলিন হলে, ও মা, আমি নয়নজলে ভাসি॥ তোমার এই খেলাঘরে শিশুকাল কাটিলে রে, তোমারি ধুলামাটি অঙ্গে মাখি ধন্য জীবন মানি। তুই দিন ফুরালে সন্ধ্যাকালে কী দীপ জ্বালিস ঘরে, মরি হায়, হায় রে— তখন খেলাধুলা সকল ফেলে, ও মা, তোমার কোলে ছুটে আসি॥ ধেনু-চরা তোমার মাঠে, পারে যাবার খেয়াঘাটে, সারা দিন পাখি-ডাকা ছায়ায়-ঢাকা তোমার পল্লীবাটে, তোমার ধানে-ভরা আঙিনাতে জীবনের দিন কাটে, মরি হায়, হায় রে— ও মা, আমার যে ভাই তারা সবাই, ও মা, তোমার রাখাল তোমার চাষি॥ ও মা, তোর চরণেতে দিলেম এই মাথা পেতে— দে গো তোর পায়ের ধুলা, সে যে আমার মাথার মানিক হবে। ও মা, গরিবের ধন যা আছে তাই দিব চরণতলে, মরি হায়, হায় রে— আমি পরের ঘরে কিনব না আর, মা, তোর ভূষণ ব'লে গলার ফাঁসি	Amar shōnar Bangla, ami tōmay bhalōbashi. Cirodin tōmar akash, tōmar batash, amar prane bajay bãshi. Ō ma, phagune tōr amer bone ghrane pagol kore, Mori hay, hay re– Ō ma, Oghrane tōr bhora khete ami ki dekhechi modhur hashi. Ki shōbha, ki chaya gō, ki sneho, ki maya gō, Ki ãcol bichayecho boṭer mule, nodir kule kule. Ma, tōr mukher bani amar kane lage shudhar motō, Mori hay, hay re– Ma, tōr bodonkhani molin hole, ō ma, ami noyonjole bhashi. Tōmar ei khelaghore shishukal kaṭile re, Tōmari dhulamaṭi ongge makhi dhonno jibon mani. Tui din phurale shondhakale ki dip jalish ghore, Mori hay, hay re– Tokhon kheladhula shokol phele, ō ma, tōmar kōle chuṭe ashi. Dhenu-cora tōmar maṭhe, pare jabar kheyaghaṭe, Shara din pakhi-ḍaka chayay-ḍhaka tōmar pollibaṭe, Tōmar dhane-bhora anginate jiboner din kaṭe Mori hay, hay re– Ō ma, amar je bhai tara shobai, ō ma, tōmar rakhal tōmar cashi. Ō ma, tōr coronete dilem ei matha pete: De gō tōr payer dhula, she je amar mathar manik hobe. Ō ma, goriber dhon ja ache tai dib corontole, Mori hay, hay re– Ami porer ghore kinbo na ar, ma, tōr bhushon bole gôlar phãshi.	[a.mar ʃo.nar baŋ.la ǀ a.mi to.maj bʱa.lo.ba.ʃi] [t͡ʃi.ro.din to.mar a.kaʃ ǀ to.mar ba.taʃ ǀ a.mar pra.ne ba.d͡ʒaj bã.ʃi ‖] [o ma ǀ pʰa.gu.ne tor a.mer bo.ne gʱra.ne pa.gol kɔ.re ǀ] [mo.ri haj ǀ haj re ǀ] [o ma ǀ ɔ.gʱra.ne tor bʱɔ.ra kʰe.te a.mi ki de.kʰe.t͡ʃʰi mo.dʱur ha.ʃi ‖] [ki ʃo.bʱa ǀ ki t͡ʃʰa.ja go ǀ ki sne.ho ǀ ki ma.ja go ǀ] [ki ã.t͡ʃol bi.t͡ʃʰa.je.t͡ʃʰo bɔ.ʈer mu.le ǀ no.dir ku.le ku.le] [ma ǀ tor mu.kʰer ba.ni a.mar ka.ne la.ge ʃu.dʱar mɔ.to ǀ] [mo.ri haj ǀ haj re ǀ] [ma ǀ tor bɔ.don.kʰa.ni mo.lin ho.le ǀ o ma ǀ a.mi nɔ.jon.d͡ʒɔ.le bʱa.ʃi ‖] [to.mar ei kʰɛ.la.gʱɔ.re ʃi.ʃu.kal ka.ʈi.le re ǀ] [to.ma.ri dʱu.la.ma.ʈi ɔŋ.ge ma.kʰi dʱon.no d͡ʒi.bɔn ma.ni] [tu.i din pʰu.ra.le ʃon.dʱa.ka.le ki dip d͡ʒa.liʃ gʱɔ.re ǀ] [mo.ri haj ǀ haj re ǀ] [tɔ.kʰon kʰɛ.la.dʱu.la ʃɔ.kol pʰe.le ǀ o ma ǀ to.mar ko.le t͡ʃʰu.ʈe a.ʃi ‖] [dʱe.nu.t͡ʃɔ.ra to.mar ma.ʈʰe ǀ pa.re d͡ʒa.bar kʰe.ja.gʱa.ʈe ǀ] [ʃa.ra din pa.kʰi.ɖa.ka t͡ʃʰa.jaj.ɖʱa.ka to.mar pol.li.bʱa.ʈe ǀ] [to.mar dʱa.ne.bʱɔ.ra aŋ.i.na.te d͡ʒi.bɔ.ner din ka.ʈe] [mo.ri haj ǀ haj re ǀ] [o ma ǀ a.mar d͡ʒe bʱa.i ta.ra ʃɔ.bai̯ ǀ o ma ǀ to.mar ra.kʰal to.mar t͡ʃa.ʃi ‖] [o ma ǀ tor t͡ʃɔ.ro.ne.te di.lem ei̯ ma.tʰa pe.te ǀ] [de go tor pa.jer dʱu.la ǀ ʃe d͡ʒe a.mar ma.tʰar ma.nik hɔ.be] [o ma ǀ go.ri.ber dʱɔn d͡ʒa a.t͡ʃʰe tai̯ di.bo t͡ʃɔ.ron.tɔ.le ǀ] [mo.ri haj ǀ haj re ǀ] [a.mi pɔ.rer gʱɔ.re kin.bo na ar ǀ ma ǀ tor bʱu.ʃon bo.le gɔ.lar pʰã.ʃi ‖]	My golden Bengal, thee I love. Forever thy skies be, thine air like a flute set my heart in tune; O Mother, aroma of mango orchard in Falgun driveth me crazy, Ah, such miraculousness! O Mother, time seeth in Ogrohayon smiles sweet all through fields of paddy. What beauty, what shades, what affection, what tenderness; What a quilt thou hast spread at tip of banyans 'long ev'ry bank, O Mother, words from thy lips like nectar to my ears. Ah, such miraculousness! If sadness, o mother, cast a gloom on thy face, my eyes filled with tears. Spending my childhood in thy playhouse Thy soil o'er my body smeared, I consider myself privileged. Wonderful lamp at dusk thou lightest, Ah, such miraculousness! At once I quit playing and sprint back to thy lap, o mother. In cattle grazing field, on pier for crossing stream, Shaded village walkways, serene with calling birds Open porch with heaped ripe paddy, my life goeth on. Ah, such miraculousness! All thy shepherds and farmers are my brothers. This time I offer my head beneath thy feet, Bless me with thy dust, obliged shall I be to flaunt overhead. To thee I shall offer meagrely whatever I have at home, Ah, such miraculousness! Ne'er bothered to buy thee from others a hanging rope coronal guise.

Notable performances and covers

A former world record of more than a hundred thousand people performing Bangladesh's national anthem.

The Ministry of Cultural Affairs planned to stage an event on Bangladesh's 44th independence day, in a bid to have the world record of the most people singing a national anthem simultaneously. Consequently, on 2 March, the ministry launched a program titled "Lakho Konthe Sonar Bangla" whose main objective was to hold an event with the cooperation of Bangladesh Armed Forces where approximately 300,000 people would sing the national anthem. Several popular Bangladeshi musicians and cultural groups later joined the program.

The record was broken at 11:20 on 26 March 2014 by 254,537 participants at Dhaka's National Parade Ground. The event was attended by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, and all the members of the cabinet. After receiving the required evidence, the Guinness Book of World Records approved the record on 9 April 2014. The record was broken by India on 21 January 2017.

See also

• "Notuner Gaan", the national march of Bangladesh, written by Kazi Nazrul Islam
• "Ekusher Gaan", a song in the memory of the martyrs of the Bengali language movement
• "Jana Gana Mana", national anthem of India, also written by Rabindranath Tagore
• "Banglar Mati Banglar Jol", the state anthem of West Bengal, also written by Rabindranath Tagore
• Bangamata
• Joy Bangla

External links

• Works related to My Golden Bengal at Wikisource