Thou hast made me endless, such is thy pleasure. This frail vessel thou emptiest again and again, and fillest it ever with fresh life.
This is the opening of the first poem of Gitanjali, a book whose title means “song offerings”. W. B. Yeats’s introduction praised the poems, and Tagore received the Nobel Prize the following year.
I have had my invitation to this world’s festival, and thus my life has been blessed.
On the seashore of endless worlds children meet. The infinite sky is motionless overhead and the restless water is boisterous.
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; / Where knowledge is free;
I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.
All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women merely players;
Because I could not stop for Death – / He kindly stopped for me –