Amar Shonar Bangla (My Golden Bengal) (Bengali:আমার সোনার বাংলা) is a 1905 song written and composed by the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore from undivided India, the first ten lines of which were adopted in 1972 as the Bangladesh national anthem. It is of interest that another poem by Rabindranath Tagore (Jana Gana Mana) is the national anthem of India making him the only person to have penned national anthems of two nations.
The word shonar literally means 'made of gold', but in the song sonar Bangla may be interpreted to either express the preciousness of Bengal or a reference to the colour of paddy fields before harvest.
The song was written in 1905 during the period of Bongobhanga (Bôngobhôngo - 1905 Partition of Bengal) - when the ruling British empire had the province of Bengal (of undivided India) split into two parts; the decision on the Partition of Bengal was announced on 19 July 1905 by then Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon. The partition took effect on 16 October 1905. This divide of Bengal was along communal lines — East Bengal had a majority of Muslims, while West Bengal had a majority of Hindus. This partition is claimed to have undermined India's national movement against British imperialism, and is said to have been politically motivated. This song, along with a host of others, was written by Tagore, a pioneer of the cultural and political movement against this partition. These songs 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). It is said that the music of this song was inspired by the Baul singer Gagan Harkara's song "Ami Kothay Pabo Tare". (Bengali:কোথায় পাবো তারে)^ [1]
The first 10 lines of this song constitute the national anthem of Bangladesh. It was adopted in 1972 after the independence of Bangladesh. The English translation was done by Syed Ali Ahsan.
Bangla (Bengali) script | Transliteration | Literal translation |
আমার সোনার বাংলা আমার সোনার বাংলা,আমি তোমায় ভালবাসি| | Amar sonar Bangla Ami tomay bhalobashi | My beloved Bengal My Bengal of Gold,I love you. |
| চিরদিন তোমার আকাশ, তোমার বাতাস আমার প্রাণে বাজায় বাঁশি। | Chirodin tomar akash, Tomar batash, Amar prane bajae bãshi. | Forever your skies, Your air set my heart in tune As if it were a flute. |
| ও মা, ফাগুনে তোর আমের বনে ঘ্রাণে পাগল করে-- মরি হায়, হায় রে ও মা, অঘ্রানে তোর ভরা খেতে, আমি কী দেখেছি মধুর হাসি।। | O ma, Phagune tor amer bone Ghrane pagol kôre, Mori hae, hae re, O ma, Ôghrane tor bhôra khete Ami ki dekhechhi modhur hashi. | In spring, O mother mine, The fragrance from your mango groves Makes me wild with joy, Ah, what a thrill! In autumn, O mother mine, In the full blossomed paddy fields I have seen spread all over sweet smiles. |
| কী শোভা, কী ছায়া গো, কী স্নেহ, কী মায়া গো,-- কী আঁচল বিছায়েছ বটের মূলে, নদীর কূলে কূলে। | Ki shobha, ki chhaya go, Ki sneho, ki maea go, Ki ãchol bichhaeechho Bôţer mule, Nodir kule kule. | Ah, what beauty, what shades, What an affection, and what tenderness! What a quilt have you spread At the feet of banyan trees And along the banks of rivers! |
| মা, তোর মুখের বাণী আমার কানে লাগে সুধার মতো- | Are like nectar to my ears. Ah, what a thrill! If sadness, O mother mine, Casts a gloom on your face, My eyes are filled with tears! | |
| মা তোর বদন খানি মলিন হলে আমি নয়ন ও মায় আমি নয়ন জলে ভাসি সোনার বাংলা, আমি তোমায় ভালবাসি| | Ma tor bodonkhani molin hole ami noyon o may ami noyonjole bhashi sonar bangla, ami tomay bhalobashi! |
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