Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-21
Hindu Lyrical
Play EmbOdies
Fen1iniSfHOpeS
Rabindranath Tagore's "chi.
ira" Bears Strongly on the
Emancipation of Woman.

Rabindranath Tagore, to whorn
was awarded the rebel prize for
literature and of whom 1 wrote in
these columns some weeks ago. is
the author of a play called och ira"
which has been published by the
India Society. The work is lyrical
drama written by its author a
quarter of a century ago.
The work is based upon one of the
innumerable stories in the Maha-.
barata, relating to the love of the
hero Arjuno for a kings only en- ID
the ravishing Chitrangada, whom her
father had made his heir and reared
as a son. With this as his ground
work the Hindu dramatist makes MS
play an allegory, as has been saids
rich in suggestively beautiful poetry.
In the beg inning he gives Chitra
strength, but not beauty; then, by
the interposition of the gods MADAME
and. Vasonita Eros and LycoriS), who,
throughout, follow the action and ful-
fiji some of the functions of the Greek
Chorus, beauty in its most alluring
| splendors is thrown about her, tenn.
porary veil. For Arjuna, in Mr..
Tagore's version of the legend, has
| taken a twelve years vow of chastity
which it needs this dazzling en-
dowment to overcome.
Chitra's Heart-Burnings.
No sooner has Chitra subdued hey
| lover than she is filled with bitter
| heart searchings at the thought that
it is to the adventitious in her. not
to her true self, that he has been
| drawn. Her thought Is, HE loves my
| looks, not me-"
Thus, through a skillfully man
euvered situation, the drama presents
IN universal form, the old question
whether it is not merely the fleet
ing. inessential bloom before which
the soul in romantic love bows down.
and whether it can. after all. be the
destiny of woman to typify for man
that beauty of passing appearance
| and nothing more.
Ariuna appears finally as a lover
who demands OF his beloved deeper
and more lasting satisfactions. He
says:
Illusion is the first appearance of
| truth. She advances toward her
lover in disguise. But a time comes
when she throws off her ornaments,
clothed only in her native dignity. I
grope for that ultimate you. that
bare simplicity of truth
And Chitra, the veil of beauty fall
! Ing from her. replies;
| Her Gift, Woman's Heart
THE gift / proudly hiring. you Il
/ the heart of a woman. Here have all
pains and joys gathered, the hopes
and fears and shames of daughter
of the dust; here love springs I'D
strug Cling toward immortal lie
Herein lies an imperfection which yet
! IL ,.11A1 &c
for the daYs to come
Thus, the play. aside from its
mythical suggestions, has direct
and powerful bearing on the question
of the emancipation of women.
In stateliness of diction the drama
commands admiration and sts
imagery shows how true a poet Ia
the author. Here is Chitra's descrip-
ton of her lover:
lstralght, tan limbs, like a sudden
tongue of fire from heap of ashes.
He lay asleep with a vague smils
about his lips like the crescent moon
In the morning"
Tagore Poems Set to Music.
OF interest to musicians and books
lovers alike is the recent publication
by the house of G. Schirmer of six
poems from Rabindranath Tagore's
"Gitanjal," set to music by John
Alden Carpenter, the distinguished
American composer. Mr.. Carpenter
discovered the worth of these poems
and set them to music long before
Tagore had been awarded the Nobel
prize for literature-indeed, the Soul
of India" was at that time virtually
unknown in America.
Two of these songs. when 1 Bring
to You Colored Toys" and THE Sleep
That Fits on Baby's Eyes" were
warmly received by both audience and
critics at Nine. Julia Culp's recent
| New York recital