Ekla Chalo Re

I heard the song "Ekla Chalo Re" when I was in hotel room while my fiancee was taking shower. A powerful voice of Amitabh Bachhan blaring from a small television stuck to the wall. I have always been fasicinated with the Bengla language, my mother used to say "It is the sweetest language in the World". It indeed is, this song proved it. Few days back, at home in Adelaide I was talking to my cousin about this song and she mentioned it is infact written by Rabindranath Tagore or Rabindranath Takkur as patriotic Bengali person corrects. He is indeed a jewel of India who received a Noble prize for literature in 1913 for his 'Gitanjali'.

The song was one of the key anthem of the Anti-Partition Movement in Bengal Presidency during Indian freedom movement.

The original poetry written by Tagore in Bengla
Jodi tor đak shune keu na ashe tôbe êkla chôlo re,
Êkla chôlo, êkla chôlo, êkla chôlo, êkla chôlo re.
Jodi keu kôtha na kôe, ore ore o ôbhaga,
Jodi shôbai thake mukh firaee shôbai kôre bhôe—
Tôbe pôran khule
O tui mukh fuţe tor moner kôtha êkla bôlo re.
Jodi shôbai fire jae, ore ore o ôbhaga,
Jodi gôhon pôthe jabar kale keu fire na chae—
Tôbe pôther kãţa
O tui rôktomakha chôrontôle êkla dôlo re.
Jodi alo na dhôre, ore ore o ôbhaga,
Jodi jhôŗ-badole ãdhar rate duar dêe ghôre—
Tôbe bojranôle
Apon buker pãjor jalie nie êkla jôlo re.

and the translation in English by Tagore himself

If they answer not to thy call walk alone,

If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall,

O thou unlucky one,

open thy mind and speak out alone.

If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness,

O thou unlucky one,

trample the thorns under thy tread,

and along the blood-lined track travel alone.

If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm,

O thou unlucky one,

with the thunder flame of pain ignite thy own heart

and let it burn alone.