| "Ekla Cholo Re" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Language | Bengali |
| Published | September 1905 |
| Genre | Rabindra Sangeet |
| Songwriter | Rabindranath Tagore |
| Composer | Rabindranath Tagore |
| "Ekla Chôlo Re" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Rabindranath Tagore[1] | |
| from the album Record no 357[1] | |
| Released | sometime between 1905 and 1908[1] |
| Label | H. Bose Swadeshi Records[1] |
| Songwriter | Rabindranath Tagore |
| This album is now lost. | |
Jôdi Tor Dak Shune Keu Na Ase Tôbe Ekla Chôlo Re ("If no one responds to your call, then go your own way alone"[2]), commonly known asEkla Chôlo Re, is aBengali patriotic song written byRabindranath Tagore in 1905.[2]
Originally titled as "EKLA", the song was first published in the September 1905 issue ofBhandar magazine.[1] It was based and influenced by theVaishnavite songHarinaam Diye Jagat Matale Amar Ekla Nitai Re, which was a popular BengaliKirtan song ofDhapkirtan[1] or Manoharshahigharana[3] praisingNityananda, disciple ofChaitanya Mahaprabhu.[1]Ekla Chalo Re was incorporated in the "Swadesh" (Homeland) section of Tagore's lyrical anthologyGitabitan.[1]
The song exhorts the listener to continue their journey, despite abandonment or lack of support from others. It is often quoted in the context of sociopolitical change movements and was a favourite ofMahatma Gandhi.[4][5]
The verses ofEkla Chalo Re read as follows:[6]
যদি তোর ডাক শুনে কেউ না আসে তবে একলা চলো রে।
একলা চলো একলা চলো একলা চলো একলা চলো রে॥
যদি কেউ কথা না কয়, ওরে ওরে ও অভাগা,
যদি সবাই থাকে মুখ ফিরায়ে সবাই করে ভয়—
তবে পরান খুলে
ও তুই মুখ ফুটে তোর মনের কথা একলা বলো রে॥
যদি সবাই ফিরে যায়, ওরে ওরে ও অভাগা,
যদি গহন পথে যাবার কালে কেউ ফিরে না চায়—
তবে পথের কাঁটা
ও তুই রক্তমাখা চরণতলে একলা দলো রে॥
যদি আলো না ধরে, ওরে ওরে ও অভাগা,
যদি ঝড়-বাদলে আঁধার রাতে দুয়ার দেয় ঘরে—
তবে বজ্রানলে
আপন বুকের পাঁজর জ্বালিয়ে নিয়ে একলা জ্বলো রে॥
Jodi tor dak shune keu na eshe tobe ekla cholo re.
Tobe ekla cholo, ekla cholo, ekla cholo, ekla cholo re.
Jodi keu kotha na koe, ore ore o obhaga,
Jodi shobai thake mukh phirae shobai kore bhoe, jodi shobai thake mukh phirae shobai kore bhoi—
Tobe poran khule
O tui mukh phute tor moner kotha ekla bolo re.
Jodi shobai phire jae, ore ore o obhaga,
Jodi gohon pothe jabar kale keu phire na chae, jodi gohon pothe jabar kale keu phire naa chai—
Tobe pother kata
O tui roktomakha chorontole ekla dolo re.
Jodi alo na dhore, ore ore o obhaga,
Jodi jhor-badole adhar rate duar dae ghore—
Tobe bojranole
Apon buker pajor jalie nie ekla jolo re.
If they answer not to thy call;
Walk alone.
If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall;
O thou unlucky one! ,
If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall;
Open thy mind,
And speak out alone.
If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness;
O thou unlucky one! ,
If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness;
Trample the thorns under thy tread,
And along the blood-lined track travel alone.
If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm;
O thou unlucky one! ,
If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm;
With the thunder flame of pain ignite thy own heart,
And let it burn alone.
"Ekla Chalo Re" was written atGiridih town in modern-dayJharkhand,India.[8] It was one of the 22protest songs[9] written during theSwadeshi period ofIndian freedom movement and along with "Amar Sonar Bangla", it became one of the key songs for the Anti-Partition Movement inBengal Presidency in 1905.[9]
Titled as "Eka" ("Alone") the song was first published in the September 1905 issue ofBhandar magazine.[1] "Eka" was first included in Tagore's song anthologyBaul in 1905.[8] In 1941, it was incorporated into the "Swadesh" ("Homeland") section ofGitabitan, the complete anthology of Tagore's music.[10]
The musical notation of "Ekla Chalo Re" was prepared by Indira Devi, a niece of Tagore.[1] The notation was first published in the April–May 1906 issue ofSangeet-Vignan Prakashika magazine and later incorporated into the 46th volume ofSwarabitan, the complete collection of Tagore's musical notations.[1]
"Ekla Chalo Re" was first recorded by Rabindranath Tagore sometime between 1905 and 1908.[1] Thecylinder record labelled H. Bose Swadeshi Records is now lost.[1] Two other records of the song made by Harendranath Dutta (record no P5270) and Hindustan Party (comprising Amala Dutta, Nandita Devi, Sudhin Dutta andSantidev Ghosh) (record no H 191) are released by Gramophone Company of India and Hindustan Records respectively.[1]
Eminent Rabindra Sangeet singerSuchitra Mitra recorded this song twice, first in 1948 (record no N27823), for the film Sandipan Pathshala, then in 1984 (record no PSPL 1501). There is also a third recording of this song by Suchitra Mitra from the album Rupantori (1988). She also recorded the song for the fourth time, with the sarod being played as background music, by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, from the album Tribute to Tagore.[11]
In 2004, "Ekla Chalo Re"'s tune was used with Hindi lyrics composed byA.R Rahman and sung bySonu Nigam in the movieNetaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero. In the 2012 Bollywood filmKahaani, it is sung by actorAmitabh Bachchan under music direction ofVishal–Shekhar. Earlier, it was sung byKishore Kumar, under the direction ofHemanta Mukhopadhyay. It was recorded byHemanta Mukherjee in 1989.