Synopsis and Explanation of the Tagore’s poem 'Hide and Seek' (লুকোচুরি)

You Tube Link of the Poem:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xjz0Xdod8w


The Poem: 

লুকোচুরি রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর                             আমি যদি দুষ্টুমি করে চাঁপার গাছে চাঁপা হয়ে ফুটি, ভোরের বেলা মা গো, ডালের ‘পরে কচি পাতায় করি লুটোপুটি, তবে তুমি আমার কাছে হারো, তখন কি মা চিনতে আমায় পারো। তুমি ডাক, ‘খোকা কোথায় ওরে। ‘ আমি শুধু হাসি চুপটি করে। যখন তুমি থাকবে যে কাজ নিয়ে সবই আমি দেখব নয়ন মেলে। স্নানটি করে চাঁপার তলা দিয়ে আসবে তুমি পিঠেতে চুল ফেলে; এখান দিয়ে পুজোর ঘরে যাবে, দূরের থেকে ফুলের গন্ধ পাবে— তখন তুমি বুঝতে পারবে না সে তোমার খোকার গায়ের গন্ধ আসে। দুপুর বেলা মহাভারত-হাতে বসবে তুমি সবার খাওয়া হলে, গাছের ছায়া ঘরের জানালাতে পড়বে এসে তোমার পিঠে কোলে, আমি আমার ছোট্ট ছায়াখানি দোলাব তোর বইয়ের ‘পরে আনি— তখন তুমি বুঝতে পারবে না সে তোমার চোখে খোকার ছায়া ভাসে। সন্ধেবেলায় প্রদীপখানি জ্বেলে যখন তুমি যাবে গোয়ালঘরে তখন আমি ফুলের খেলা খেলে টুপ্‌ করে মা , পড়ব ভুঁয়ে ঝরে। আবার আমি তোমার খোকা হব, ‘গল্প বলো’ তোমায় গিয়ে কব। তুমি বলবে, ‘দুষ্টু, ছিলি কোথা। ‘ আমি বলব, ‘ বলব না সে কথা। ‘

Hide & Seek Rabindranath Tagore If I play a mischievous trick and blossom as a flower in the Champa tree and early in the morning roll over the tender leaves of the branch, you would then- oh mother - loose out to me as it is doubtful that you would be able to recognize me. You will be shouting "Khokhaa, where are you?" I will just keep quiet and smile. When you will be busy doing your chores, I will keep a watch over it all with my eyes open. After taking bath - with your hair unkempt - you will pass the Champa tree as you go to the puja room from where you will be getting smell of the flowers coming from a distance. At the time, you will not know that the smell that was coming was from your Khokhaa's body. In the afternoon after others have finished their meal, you will sit down with the Mahabharata in your hand and the shadow of the tree coming through the window will fall on your back and on your lap. On my part, I will be swinging my tiny shadow over the pages of your book. Even then, you won't have any idea that it is the shadow of your Khokhaa that is floating across you eyes. In the evening after lighting the lamp you will proceed to the cow-shed and at that time, mother - acting like a flower - I will shed myself and drop to the ground. Again I will become your Khokhaa and will come to you and demand, "Please tell me a story." You will ask, "You naughty boy, where have you been?" I will simply say, "That I won't tell you."

Synopsis: 

          The poem “Hide and Seek” is one of the most conspicuous nature poems of Rabindranath Tagore. Throughout the poem, we observe that the poet plays the game of ‘Hide and Seek’ with his metaphorical mother (nature).  We know that a child always likes of being playful with its mother. Similarly, the poet will be playing a naughty game with his mother (nature). He considers himself as a Champa flower.  As a Champa flower he will be tossing over the tender leaves of the branch of the tree. The mother (nature) will be anxious regarding her son and  the poet will be confused by thinking whether his mother will be able to recognize him in a different form. The mother(nature) will be shouting to find out her son but being vexatious, he will not not respond to the call of his mother.

          In the second stanza, we observe that the nature (poet’s metaphorical mother) will be busy to ordain itself with its natural ornaments and the poet will be looking at her busyness.  The line ‘after taking bath’ may refer to rain which showers the nature as well as ‘the hair unkempt’ refers to the nature which has unfurled its beauty for everyone. In this poem, nature is being compared as a devotee of god who regularly worships god. When his mother will be worshiping at the puja room, she will get the smell of Champa flowers but she will not be able to recognize the smell of her son. Here, in this stanza, we again observe that the poet, in the form of Champa flower will be playing ‘Hide and Seek’ with his metaphorical mother through spreading his smell that will be unrecognizable.  

        After doing all household chores, the poet’s metaphorical mother (nature) will be sitting down to read  Mahabharata. It is the time when the sun still remains at the sky; so the shadow of the trees   fall on the on the earth. However, when the poet’s mother will be sitting down to go through Mahabharata, the shadow of the tree will be falling on the back and lap of his mother. And, as usual, the poet will be playing ‘Hide and Seek’ through swinging his shadow (shadow of metaphorical Champa flower which the poet considers himself) ‘over the pages’ of Mahabharata. His mother will completely be unaware that it is the shadow of her son which is hovering in front of her eyes over the Mahabharata.  

        We know that in the evening almost every housewife light the lamp of the house in order to remove darkness. After lighting the lamp, the mother will approach to the cow-shed and just at that time the poet, as a Champa flower will be dropped to the ground so that his mother pick his son to give shelter in her lap. Again coming back to the lap of his mother, the poet will urge his mother to tell him a story. Instead of telling story, the mother will first ask whereabouts of the poet all day long. But, as usual, through hiding the truth the poet will simply reply, "That I won't tell you."

Explanation:

  First of all, I want to go through the definition of nature, the word "nature" comes from the Latin word, "natura," meaning birth or character. Mother Nature is a common personification of nature that focuses on the life-giving and fostering aspects of nature by embodying it in the form of the mother.

          Similarly, in this poem we observe that Tagore Personifies nature as his mother which very affectionately nurtures the poet. We observe human interaction of the poet with nature. If we deeply observe this poem, we find that Tagore sees the Divine spirit within all creation evinced within the richness of nature. Through connecting himself with the nature, he obtains a sense of creative joy. We can say that to some extend his contact with nature is mystic since he seeks by meditation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or amalgamation into the nature. 



         In India this spiritual contact with nature is known as SHAMANISM.  Shamanism is about developing a relationship with nature; with the light, the plants and rocks, the trees and flowers and all the animals, and Mother Earth. Harmony is immanent to nature and thus also inherent to shamanism. In the poem, we observe that Tagore has developed a harmonic and soothing relationship with nature. It is the relationship between a mother and the son. He plays with nature thus gains an aesthetic joy.  He is the child of the nature who plays and takes shelter in the lap of nature.