Introduction:
The poem entitled ‘Harvest Hymn’ is a choral song, sung first in male voices then in female voices and finally in all voices in a chorus. The poetess has created a joyous atmosphere of Indian countryside at the harvesting time. Men's voices in the poem sing a hymn to Brahma, Surya and Varuna and women's voices sing a hymn to Prithvi. Then all voices are simultaneously raised to the Lord of Universe, father eternal ineffable Om.
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| Poem Harvest Hymn—Summary and Critical Analysis |
Some Critical Points of the Poem:
1. The farmers sing in praise of the sun - god, without whose kindness no fruit or grain would ripen.
2. The hymn in praise of Varuna, Lord of rain is sung because without Varuna, all growth would be checked.
3. The women pay their tribute to Prithvi, who is the ancient and mystic Earth goddess.
4. Men and women unite in celebrating the Supreme One, of whom all forms and beings are manifestations.
Summary of the Poem:
Stanza 1:
Men's Voices
Lord of the lotus, lord of the harvest,
Bright and munificent lord of the morn!
Thine is the bounty that prospered our sowing.
Thine is the bounty that nurtured our corn.
We bring thee our songs and our garlands for tribute,
The gold of our fields and the gold of our fruit;
O giver of mellowing radiance, we hail thee,
We praise thee, O Surya, with cymbal and flute.
Lord of the rainbow, lord of the harvest,
Great and beneficent lord of the main!
Thine is the mercy that cherished our furrows,
Thine is the mercy that fostered our grain.
We bring thee our thanks and our garlands for tribute,
The wealth of our valleys, new - garnered and ripe:
O sender of rain and the dewfall, we hail thee,
We praise thee, Varuna, with cymbal and pipe.
Explanatory Word - Meanings:
1. Lord of the lotus ... harvest = Brahma is known as the Creator of the universe. Men pay their thanks to Brahma for giving germinating power to the seeds and they sing hymn in His praise. 2. Bright ... morn = they sing hymn in praise of the sun - god to main impart light to the plants. 3. Munificent = extremely generous. 4. Thine is ... our corn = it is due to generosity of the sun - god that all the seeds sown in the fields, germinate well and the sun - god protect them. 5. Nurtured = brought it up. 6. Bounty = blessings and kindness. 7. The gold ... fruit = the fields become prosper with corns and the fruits become juicy with the warm rays of the sun. 8. Mellowing radiance = the warm rays of the sun ripen the corn or crops. 9. We ... flute = they sing in praise of sun - god with cymbal and flute. 10. Cymbal = a concave plate of brass which produces a sharp ringing when struck. 11. Flute = a woodwind instrument with a high pitch. 12. Lord of the rainbow ... main = Varun, Lord of rain and Brahma perform a vital role in flourishing the harvest. 13. Beneficent = giver of kind gifts. 14. Cherished = nourished or prospered. 15. Dewfall = drops of dew falling at night.
Paraphrase:
Men sing in praise of lord Brahma who, in Indian mythology, is regarded the Creator of the whole universe. So, it is the belief among Indian people that Brahma protects the seeds and contributes in their germination. They sing in praise of the sun - god who is so generous that he gives light and helps in prospering the harvest. Due to generosity of the sun - god, the corns get healthy nourishment and they flourish well. Men offer the garlands in their adoration and sing hymns in their praise. The farmers become happy to see their rich crops. The warm rays of the sun ripen the crops and fruits. They welcome the sun rays falling on their crops. They sing hymns in praise of the sun - god with cymbal and flute. They worship Lord Varun, a bringer of rain. He is also known as the ruler of the great ocean. He creates clouds to moisten the earth with its showers. The god of rain helps them in irrigating their plants. The soil becomes wet and provides freshness to the plants. With the blessings of Varun and Brahma, the farmers get good crops. While singing hymns, they pay their thanks and offer garlands. The farmers make fresh storehouse for the grains. They become rich and prosper by getting good crops.
Stanza 2:
Women's Voices
Queen of the ground flower, queen of the harvest,
Sweet and omnipotent mother, O Earth!
Thine is the plentiful bosom that feeds us,
Thine is the womb where our riches have birth.
We bring thee our love and our garlands for tribute,
With gifts of thy opulent giving we come:
O source of our manifold gladness, we hail thee,
We - praise thee, O Prithvi, with cymbal and drum.
Explanatory Word - Meanings:
1. Queen ... O Earth! = the women pay their homage to Prithvi, the ancient mystic Earth - goddess. They call her the queen of the flowers of large fruits such as pumpkin and watermelon and the queen of harvest. They sing in praise of sweet natured and all powerful mother. 2. Gourd = large fruit. 3. Omnipotent = all powerful. 4. Thine ... feeds us = the mother Prithvi has an immense bosom to feed all the human beings. She (Prithvi) is able to bring up all the human beings. She is a universal mother. 5. Bosom = breasts. 6. Thine ... have birth= a great treasure is hidden in the womb of Earth - goddess. She gives birth to a large number of things. She is the mother of broad heart. 7. We bring ... tribute= the women, through their hymns, show great affection to their mother Prithvi and offer garlands to pay homage. 8. With gifts ... we come= singing in praise of Earth goddess, they show their gratefulness for her generosity in providing them many gifts. It is Earth - goddess who has kept them alive and helped in surviving. Hence, they call her wealthy and generous. 9. Opulent = rich; abundant. 10. O source ... drum = the mother earth is the greatest source of many forms of delight and joy. They hail the mother Prithvi and they sing hymns in praise of her with cymbal and drum.
Paraphrase:
After men, the women sing hymns in praise of Earth goddess. They call her the queen of large fleshy fruits’ flowers and the queen of harvest. She remains calm even after her exploitation. She is generous, sweet - natured and all powerful. Her bosom is gigantic. She is capable to feed all the creatures of this universe. She can bring up all the creatures. She is the wealthiest. A great treasure is hidden in her womb. She gives birth to many things. The women express their gratefulness and love for her generosity and offer the garlands of flowers to pay their homage. With her blessings and kindness, all the creatures of this universe survive. She is the giver of many gifts. She is the greatest source of many forms of delight and happiness. The women welcome her with their hymns. They sing in praise of her with cymbal and drum.
Stanza 3:
All Voices
Lord of the Universe, Lord of our being,
Father eternal, ineffable Om!
Thou art the Seed and the Scythe of our harvests,
Thou art our Hands and our Heart and our Home.
We bring thee our lives and our labours for tribute,
Grant us thy succor, thy counsel, thy care.
O Life of all life and all blessing, we hail thee,
We praise thee, O Brahma, with cymbal and prayer.
Explanatory Word - Meanings:
1. Lord ... ineffable Om! = Brahma is invoked as the fountain head of all life and the Lord of the universe. He is the supreme and eternal and his power and influence are indescrible. 2. Ineffable= too great to be described in words. 3. Om= sacred monosyllable. It is also the symbol of Hindu Trinity. 4. Thou art ... harvests = Brahma is present in the seed the farmers sow and in their scythe with which they reap the harvest. 5. Scythe= an implement with a long curved blade used for cutting long grass, grain, etc. 6.Thou art ... Home= Brahma's presence can be felt in farmers’ and workers’ hands, hearts and homes. 7. We bring ... tribute = men and women sing that they gladly offer their lives and the fruits of their labour as tribute to the Eternal Creator. 8. Grant us ... care = they pray Brahma to help, to guide and protect them. 9. Succour = to help or relieve in difficulty, need or distress; aid; assist. 10. Counsel =advice, suggestion. 11. O Life ... thee = they hail him as Life of all life. 12. We praise ... prayer = they sing hymns in praise of Brahma with cymbal and pray him to take them into his custody.
Paraphrase:
Now both men and women sing unitedly in praise of Brahma who is known the Creator of the universe. He is like a fountain head from which all life comes into existence. He is invoked as the Lord of all the creatures and things of this universe. He is supreme power and eternal creator. His supremacy and influence cannot be described in words. His power is visible in everything whether lifeless or living. His presence can be seen in seeds which the farmers sow in their fields. He protects seeds and provides them germinating power. He is present in Scythe with which the farmers and workers reap their crops. He is present in their hands, hearts and homes. In short, all the visible manifestations of life and nature derive their sustenance from Brahma. They happily offer their lives and the fruits of their hard labour as tribute to the Eternal creator. While singing in his praise, they pray to support them in distress, to give directions whenever they need and protect them from the disaster falling in their way. They hail him as Life of all life and sing songs in his glory and praise and joyously play on cymbals and drums.
Critical Analysis of the Poem:
Introduction:
The poem entitled ‘Harvest Hymns’ is a choral song, sung first in male voices then in female voices and finally in all in a chorus . In the present poem, the poetess vividly creates the joyous atmosphere of Indian countryside at the harvesting time. Men's voices in the poem sing a hymn to Brahma, Surya and Varuna and women's voices sing a hymn to Prithvi. And then all voices are simultaneously raised to the Lord of Universe, father eternal, ineffable Om.
Thought - Content:
Into the mouth of men in Harvest Hymns , the poet has put the praise of Surya, the sun – god, oldest of deities, without whose kindness no fruit or grain would ripen, and, of Varuna, Lord of rain without whose showers all growth would be checked. The women pay their grateful tribute or homage to Prithvi, the ancient and mystic Earth - goddess, and finally, all of them (men and women) unite in celebrating the Supreme One, of whom all forms and beings are manifestations.
Theme and Moral of the Poem:
It has been recognised by the most primitive as well as the most civilized peoples, all over the world, that man lives by the working of a power that is greater than himself and which produces for him the fruits of the earth in due season. He may help or hinder its workings, but he cannot do without them. He takes recourse to innumerable rites in order to worship or propitiate this power by conceiving of it under numerous forms. The Christian Church has its harvest of thanks giving; in India the Durgapuja and the Ramlila carry the same idea.
Style and Language:
Simplicity of language and directness of expression characterise this song . In simple and clear language, the poetess expresses the principle of unity in diversity or the spirit of oneness in the universe:
“Lord of the Universe, Lord of our being.
Father eternal, ineffable Om!
Thou art the Seed and the Scythe of our harvests,
Thou art our Hands and our Heart and our Home.
We bring thee our lives and our labours for tribute,
Grant us thy succor, thy counsel, thy care.
O Life of all life and all blessing, we hail thee,
We praise thee, O Brahma, with cymbal and prayer.”
The metre used is dactylic apparently in movement, but it is substituted in the second foot of the first line (lotus) by a trochee for the dactyl. The last (fourth) feet of the odd lines are truncated (shortened) into trochees, and the last of the even lines into a single stressed syllable. Lines scanned as dactyls would, beginning with we, O or The, must, be scanned as anacruses i.e., a syllable like a preparatory beat in music, outside the scansion of the line. But the lines may be equally well scanned as anapaests with frequent truncated first foot and extra - metrical syllable at the end.
