Gitanjali's Original Language Revealed

The question asks about the original language in which Rabindranath Tagore's famous collection of poems, Gitanjali, was written. Understanding the origin of literary works is crucial to appreciating their cultural context and the author's intent.

Analyzing the Options for Gitanjali

Let's examine the choices provided:

• English: While Gitanjali gained significant international fame through its English translation, it was not originally written in English.
• Urdu: Urdu is a rich literary language, but it is not the language in which Gitanjali was first composed.
• Hindi: Hindi is a major language of India, but Rabindranath Tagore, primarily associated with Bengal, wrote Gitanjali in a different Indian language.
• Bengali: This is the language native to the region of Bengal, where Rabindranath Tagore was born and lived. He wrote extensively in Bengali throughout his life.

The Original Language of Gitanjali

Gitanjali, which translates to "Song Offerings", is a collection of 103 poems. Rabindranath Tagore, a towering figure in Indian literature and the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature (1913), originally penned these poems in his native language, Bengali.

The English translation, also titled Gitanjali, was published in 1912 and was largely responsible for bringing Tagore's work to global prominence. The selection of poems in the English version was different from the original Bengali collection, focusing more on spiritual and philosophical themes.

Therefore, the correct answer is that Gitanjali was originally written in Bengali.