PALM TREE

Palm Tree

Author: Rabindranath Tagore

Illustrator: Maithili Joshi

Translator: Sanghamitra Ghosh

About the Author

Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7 May, 1861 to Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, one of the
leaders of the Brahmo Samaj, and Sarada Devi. He was a distinguished Bengali poet, writer,
painter, playwright and composer of songs. He was homeschooled by a variety of teachers in a
variety of subjects. He composed ‘Sishu’, ‘Dakghor’, ‘Birpurush’, ‘Proshno’, ‘Sahaj Path’ and
others for children.

He was the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in the year 1913. In 1915, the prestigious
‘knighthood’ was awarded to him by the British Raj but he soon renounced it as a protest to the
Jallianwalah Bagh massacre of 1919. A highly renowned artist, he was known for introducing the
Indian culture to the West which led to his establishment of the ‘Vishwabharati’ University in
Santiniketan which is a mosaic of the East and the West. Two of his song compositions, “Jana
Gana Mana” and “Amar Shonar Bangla” were chosen by India and Bangladesh respectively as
their national anthems.

Rabindranath Tagore passed away on August 7, 1941.

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About the poem
Published in 1922, this poem is a part of the collection Sishu Bholanath.
The Palm Tree with the mind of its own wants to wander in the sky, leave the earth behind. This
poem explores both the power of imagination and the yearning to return home.

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One legged palm tree
Topping all trees
Peep into the sky;

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It wants to fly
Tearing black clouds
Wonders how to get wings.

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On its round leaves
On the top
It spreads that wish;

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Imagines the leaves to be wings
To fly
Leaving behind its home.

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Swaying leaves
Make noises daylong
Imagine they are flying.

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Palm Tree imagines travelling in the sky
Beyond the stars
And imagines going somewhere.

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Then wind stops
Leaves do not move
The mind returns;

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It knows the soil is its mother
And loves its corner
On this earth.

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Story Attribution:

This story: Palm Tree is translated by Sanghamitra Ghosh . The © for this translation lies with StoryWeaver, Pratham Books, 2020. Some rights reserved. Released
under CC BY 4.0 license. Based on Original story: 'তালগাছ', by Rabindranath Tagore . © StoryWeaver, Pratham Books , 2020. Some rights reserved. Released under
CC BY 4.0 license.

Other Credits:

This poem 'Palm Tree' has been published on StoryWeaver.

Images Attributions:

Cover page: A palm tree stretching into the sky, by Maithili Joshi © StoryWeaver, 2020. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 4: A group of
palm trees extending into the sky, by Maithili Joshi © StoryWeaver, 2020. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 5: A palm tree stretching
into the sky, by Maithili Joshi © StoryWeaver, 2020. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 6: An aerial view of a palm tree, by Maithili Joshi
© StoryWeaver, 2020. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 7: A leaf and the head of a bark, by Maithili Joshi © StoryWeaver, 2020. Some
rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 8: A group of leaves, by Maithili Joshi © StoryWeaver, 2020. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0
license. Page 9: A group of birds flying behind leaves, by Maithili Joshi © StoryWeaver, 2020. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 10: A
palm tree spreading wide into the sky, by Maithili Joshi © StoryWeaver, 2020. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 11: A palm tree
growing into the sky, by Maithili Joshi © StoryWeaver, 2020. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 12: A group of birds flying into the sky,
by Maithili Joshi © StoryWeaver, 2020. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license.

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Some rights reserved. This book is CC-BY-4.0 licensed. You can copy, modify,
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permission. For full terms of use and attribution,
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Palm Tree Palm tree wants tp leave its corner and fly away. Explore the power
of imagination in this poem.
(English)

This is a Level 2 book for children who recognize familiar words and can read new words with help.

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