The word amar refers to the possessive first-person singular 'my' or '(of) mine'; the word sonar is the adjectival form of the root word sona, meaning 'gold'; and the word sonar, which literally translates as 'golden' or 'made of gold', is used as a term of endearment meaning 'beloved', but in the song, the words Sonar Bangla may be interpreted to express the preciousness of Bengal.
The song was written in 1905 during the first partition of Bengal, when the ruling British Empire had an undivided province of Bengal Presidency split into two parts; the decision was announced on 20 July by the then-Viceroy of India Lord Curzon, taking effect on 16 October. This divide of Bengal, being along communal lines–East Bengal and Assam having a majority of Muslims and West Bengal having a majority of Hindus–is claimed to have been politically motivated. Along with a host of others, songs such as this were meant to rekindle the unified spirit of Bengal, to raise public consciousness against the communal political divide. The lyrics first appeared in the September issues of Bongodorshon and Baul simultaneously, in 1905. The song along with the musical notation (referred to as swaralipi in Bengali), first appeared in the periodical musical journal Shongeet Biggnan Probeshika in the same month and year. Indira Devi, Tagore's niece, Satyendranath Tagore's daughter, jotted down the musical notation hearing it from Tagore himself (this was the common norm, Tagore singing the song, and someone formally jotting down the musical notations).
Official adaption
The first ten lines of the original poem constitute the most commonly sung version of Bangladesh's national anthem, adopted in 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War. The instrumental orchestra rendition was composed by Samar Das.[11]
Lyrics
The following provides the lyrics of Amar Sonar Bangla as written by Rabindranath Tagore. Only the first ten bolded lines of the original lyrics are sung as Bangladesh's national anthem. The anthem was translated into English by Syed Ali Ahsan.[12]
তোমার এই খেলাঘরে শিশুকাল কাটিলে রে, তোমারি ধুলামাটি অঙ্গে মাখি ধন্য জীবন মানি। তুই দিন ফুরালে সন্ধ্যাকালে কী দীপ জ্বালিস ঘরে, মরি হায়, হায় রে— তখন খেলাধুলা সকল ফেলে, ও মা, তোমার কোলে ছুটে আসি॥
ধেনু-চরা তোমার মাঠে, পারে যাবার খেয়াঘাটে, সারা দিন পাখি-ডাকা ছায়ায়-ঢাকা তোমার পল্লীবাটে, তোমার ধানে-ভরা আঙিনাতে জীবনের দিন কাটে, মরি হায়, হায় রে— ও মা, আমার যে ভাই তারা সবাই, ও মা, তোমার রাখাল তোমার চাষি॥
ও মা, তোর চরণেতে দিলেম এই মাথা পেতে— দে গো তোর পায়ের ধুলা, সে যে আমার মাথার মানিক হবে। ও মা, গরিবের ধন যা আছে তাই দিব চরণতলে, মরি হায়, হায় রে— আমি পরের ঘরে কিনব না আর, মা, তোর ভূষণ ব'লে গলার ফাঁসি
Amar sonar Bangla, ami tomay bhalobasi. Cirôdin tomar akas, tomar batas, amar praṇe bajay bãśi. O ma, phagune tor amer bône ghraṇe pagôl kôre, Môri hay, hay re– O ma, Ôghraṇe tor bhôra kṣete ami ki dekhechi môdhur hasi.
Ki śobha, ki chaya go, ki snehô, ki maya go, Ki ãcôl bichayechô bôṭer mule, nôdir kule kule. Ma, tor mukher baṇi amar kane lage sudhar môto, Môri hay, hay re– Ma, tor bôdônkhani môlin hôle, o ma, ami nôyônjôle bhasi.
Tomar ei khêlaghôre śiśukal kaṭile re, Tomari dhulamaṭi ôngge makhi dhônnô jibôn mani. Tui din phurale sôndhakale ki dip jalis ghôre, Môri hay, hay re– Tôkhôn kheladhula sôkôl phele, o ma, tomar kole chuṭe asi.
Dhenu-côra tomar maṭhe, pare jabar kheyaghaṭe, Sara din pakhi-ḍaka chayay-ḍhaka tomar pôllibaṭe, Tomar dhane-bhôra anginate jibôner din kaṭe Môri hay, hay re– O ma, amar je bhai tara sôbai, o ma, tomar rakhal tomar caṣi.
O ma, tor côrôṇete dilem ei matha pete: De go tor payer dhula, se je amar mathar manik hôbe. O ma, gôriber dhôn ja ache tai dibô côrôṇtôle, Môri hay, hay re– Ami pôrer ghôre kinbô na ar, ma, tor bhuṣôṇ bô'le gôlar phãsi.
My golden Bengal, thee I love. Forever thy skies be, thine air like a flute set my heart in tune; O Mother, aroma of mango orchard in Falgun driveth me crazy, Ah, such miraculousness! O Mother, time seeth in Ogrohayon smiles sweet all through fields of paddy.
What beauty, what shades, what affection, what tenderness; What a quilt thou hast spread at tip of banyans 'long ev'ry bank, O Mother, words from thy lips like nectar to my ears. Ah, such miraculousness! If sadness, o mother, cast a gloom on thy face, my eyes filled with tears.
Spending my childhood in thy playhouse Thy soil o'er my body smeared, I consider myself privileged. Wonderful lamp at dusk thou lightest, Ah, such miraculousness! At once I quit playing and sprint back to thy lap, o mother.
In cattle grazing field, on pier for crossing stream, Shaded village walkways, serene with calling birds Open porch with heaped ripe paddy, my life goeth on. Ah, such miraculousness! All thy shepherds and farmers are my brothers.
This time I offer my head beneath thy feet, Bless me with thy dust, obliged shall I be to flaunt overhead. To thee I shall offer meagrely whatever I have at home, Ah, such miraculousness! Ne'er bothered to buy thee from others a hanging rope coronal guise.
In 2019, Bangladeshi singer Mainul Ahsan Nobel, who was a runner-up in the Indian-Bengali musical show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Bangla, said that Prince Mahmud's song "Bangladesh" depicted the beauty of Bangladesh far better than Amar Sonar Bangla.[18][19] This remark sparked controversy among Bangladeshis. Later, he apologized for his remark.[19]
A former world record of more than a hundred thousand people performing Bangladesh's national anthem.
The Ministry of Cultural Affairs planned to stage an event on Bangladesh's 44th independence day, in a bid to have the world record of the most people singing a national anthem simultaneously. Consequently, on 2 March, the ministry launched a program titled Lakho Konthe Sonar Bangla (lit.'Amar Sonar Bangla in lakh voices') whose main objective was to hold an event with the cooperation of Bangladesh Armed Forces where approximately 300,000 people would sing the national anthem.[24] Several popular Bangladeshi musicians and cultural groups later joined the program.[25]
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