In Pondicherry, at the tender age of thirteen, Sri Chinmoy composes the Bengali poem ‘Dyulok Chariye Nara Narayan’ in homage to Sri Aurobindo — the day before Sri Aurobindo’s Birthday.
In New York, fifty years later, on July 8th, 1995, Sri Chinmoy sets the poem to music. And on June 9th, 1996, he begins translating the poem into English and completes the translation on August 4th so that the book can be released on August 15th.
Listen to Sri Chinmoy reciting the poem
Here are the first four lines of Sri Chinmoy’s original Bengali poem:
Dyulok chariye nara narayan
Sparshila aji dhuli
Tar jaya gan chalo mora kari
Sakala karma bhuli
And, Sri Chinmoy’s English translation:
God in human form
Descends from Heaven today
To touch and feel
The breath of earth-dust.
Comrades, His Victory
Let us proclaim, casting aside
All our world-responsibility-obligations.
The entire Bengali poem together with Sri Chinmoy’s English translation is published as August 15th, 1945 by Agni Press in 1996.
Sri Chinmoy personally signed his book India, My India — Mother India’s Summit-Prides for Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. In a section of the book dedicated to the legendary Indian sarod player, Sri Chinmoy described him as a cultural luminary.
The title page inscription reads:
To, My most Esteemed
Brother-Friend,
India's Himalayan Pride
Ali Akbar Khan Ustad
of the Highest Music-Height.
With my heart's infinite love,
joy and gratitude,Sri Chinmoy
Aug. 15th, 1997