Rabindranath Tagore wrote 'Amar Sonar Bangla' in 1905 after the first partition of Bengal.
As Indian and Bangladeshi players took to field in their World Cup match in Birmingham on Tuesday, there was a rare moment when the two teams were joined by a common thread - Rabindranath Tagore.
While the two teams were getting ready to face each other in the World Cup encounter, players and fans stood together to pay tribute to Gurudev and sing along each others' national anthem.
While we all know that Indian national anthem - Jana Gana Mana - was written by the Nobel laureate, many of us were unaware that Bangladesh's nation anthem was written by Tagore.
'Jana Gana Mana', which was adopted as India's national anthem in 1950, was written by Tagore in 1911. On the other hand, 'Amar Sonar Bangla', written in 1905, was adopted as Bangladesh's national anthem in 1971 during its liberation war. Only first ten lines of the song constitute Bangladesh's national anthem.
Pained by the partition of Bengal in 1905, the Bengali polymath penned the singing praises of the land. The state was divided into two parts - East Bengal and West Bengal - along the communal lines. The decision, announced by Lord Curzon - the then-Viceroy of India - on July 19, 1905 created East Bengal for Muslims and West Bengal for Hindus. Tagore wrote the song to raise public consciousness against the communal political divide.
Here is Bangladesh's national anthem 'Amar Sonar Bangla'
Amar sonar Bangla, ami tomay bhalobashi
Chirodin tomar akash, tomar batash, amar prane bajay bashi.
O ma, phagune tor amer bone ghrane pagol kore,
Mori hay, hay re—
O ma, Oghrane tor bhôra khete ami ki dekhechhi modhur hashi.
Ki shobha, ki chhaya go, ki sneho, ki maya go—
Ki achol bichhayechho bôţer mule, nodir kule kule/
Ma, tor mukher bani amar kane lage shudhar moto,
Mori hay, hay re—
Ma, tor bodonkhani molin hole, o ma, ami noyonjôle bhashi.
English Translation:
My golden Bengal, I love thee.
Forever thy skies, thy air set my heart in tune as if it were a flute,
O mother! The aroma of the mango orchard in Falgun drives me crazy,
Ah, what a thrill!
O mother! In Ogrohayon time sees sweet smiles all through mature fields of paddy.
What beauty, what shades, what affection, what tenderness!
What a quilt have thee spread at the feet of banyan trees and along the bank of every river,
Oh mother mine, words from thy lips are like nectar to my ears.
Ah, what a thrill!
If sadness, O mother! casts a gloom on your face, my eyes are filled with tears!
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 "Birmingham:")
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