Grant Me A New Birth (Tagore hymn, Bengal)
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-941) was a Bengali poet, author, playwright, musician, composer, philosopher, social reformer, painter, and one of the foremost figures of the Bengal Renaissance. In 1913, Tagore became the first Asian to win a Nobel Prize in any category, and also the first lyricist and non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Tagore was a prolific composer, with around 2,230 songs on many themes to his credit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabindranath_Tagore
Here is one of his religious songs, performed by the singer Shrabana Roy Chowdhury. English translation is below the video, followed by the original Bengali lyrics.
English auto-translation:
Grant me a new birth—from fear into Your sanctuary of fearlessness.
From destitution to imperishable wealth, from doubt to the abode of truth,
From inertia to a life renewed—grant me a new birth.
From my own will, O Lord, into Your will—
From my self-interest, O Lord, into Your benevolent work—
From the many to the bond of the One, from joy and sorrow to the embrace of peace—
From my own self, O Lord, into You—grant me a new birth.
Bengali lyrics as found on the Youtube page:
ভয় হতে তব অভয়মাঝে নূতন জনম দাও হে ॥
দীনতা হতে অক্ষয় ধনে, সংশয় হতে সত্যসদনে,
জড়তা হতে নবীন জীবনে নূতন জনম দাও হে ॥
আমার ইচ্ছা হইতে, প্রভু, তোমার ইচ্ছামাঝে--
আমার স্বার্থ হইতে, প্রভু, তব মঙ্গলকাজে--
অনেক হইতে একের ডোরে, সুখদুখ হতে শান্তিক্রোড়ে--
আমা হতে, নাথ, তোমাতে মোরে নূতন জনম দাও হে ॥
Vocals: Shrabana Roy Chowdhury
Music Arrangement & Direction: Dr. Upali Chattopadhyay
Programming: Pradyut Chatterjee
Pakhawaj: Tuhin Sengupta
Esraj: Debayan Majumdar
Sitar: Subhash Bose
Follow the singer at
https://www.facebook.com/shrabana.roychowdhury
Tagore was not a Christian, but the lyrics above can certainly be sung and prayed by Christians.
A Google AI summary of Tagore's religious beliefs:
Rabindranath Tagore’s religious views were deeply humanistic, universal, and mystical, rooted in his "Religion of Man," which emphasized the divine within humanity and the rejection of dogma, caste, and institutionalized worship.
His spiritual philosophy was a synthesis of several core influences:
The Brahmo Samaj: Raised in this reformist Hindu movement, he rejected idol worship, polytheism, and rigid rituals, focusing instead on the monotheistic, all-pervading Ultimate Reality (the Brahman of the Upanishads).
The Baul Mystics: Tagore was heavily influenced by the Bauls of Bengal, wandering minstrels who sang of a "religion without walls." They taught him that God is not found in temples or scriptures, but in the heart of every human being.
Vaishnavism: His writing often reflects the Bhakti (devotional) tradition, viewing the relationship between God and humanity as one of eternal love and joyful connection, rather than fear or strict obedience.
Tagore synthesized these beliefs in his seminal book, The Religion of Man. In it, he posited that the divine essence is fully realized only through our connection with others. He did not view God as a distant, abstract entity, but rather as the "Supreme Person" who is continually expressing Himself through the vast creativity, love, and consciousness of human beings.
