When the creation was new and all the stars shone (Song 78) by Rabindranath Tagore

 

When the creation was new and all the stars shone (Song 78) by Rabindranath Tagore 

When the creation was new and all the stars shone in their first splendour, the gods held their assembly in the sky and sang "Oh, the picture of perfection! The joy unalloyed!"

But one cried of a sudden - "It seems that somewhere there is a break in the chain of light and one of the stars has been lost."

The golden string of their harp snapped, their song stopped, and they cried in dismay - "Yes, that lost star was the best, she was the glory of all heavens!"

From that day the search is unceasing for her, and the cry goes on from one to the other that in her the world has lost its one joy!

Only in the deepest silence of night the stars smile and whisper among themselves - "Vain is this seeking! Unbroken perfection is over all!"

When the creation was new and all the stars shone in their first splendour, the gods held their assembly in the sky and sang "Oh, the picture of perfection! The joy unalloyed!"

 

The poem tells a simple but deep story. It describes a beautiful myth that adds charm to the poem. The poet says that feeling sad over what’s missing is pointless because the world is already perfect. This perfect world made all the gods happy. The stars shone brightly, and the gods gathered in heaven to admire the beauty of the new universe.

But one god noticed something missing and felt sad. They believed a lost star was the best one, and its absence broke the chain of light. The joy among the gods ended, and they began searching for the lost star, but they couldn’t find it.

Later, during the calm of night, the stars realized that perfection still surrounded them. Searching for the missing star wasn’t needed. They understood that feeling something is missing often comes from how we see things, not from reality itself. God’s creation is perfect.

Tagore used myths in a unique way to make his writing interesting and relatable. He criticizes people who focus only on what’s missing, believing what they don’t have is better than what they do. But, in truth, everything in the world is already perfect in its own way. Instead of longing for things we don’t have, it’s better to appreciate and make the most of what we do have.

"The golden string of their harp snapped, their song stopped, and they cried in sadness - yes, that lost star was the best, she was the glory of all heaven!"

This poem is about hope and staying positive. It shares a story where the gods feel sad because they lost the most beautiful star in the sky. The happy music turns to sadness and worry. Tagore’s main message is that God’s creation is perfect, and nothing is truly wrong. Only our misunderstanding and fear make us feel otherwise. The poet disagrees with people who always find flaws in the world. Like the sad gods, they think about what they don’t have. But the truth is, everything is already perfect as it is. So, we should live with hope, happiness, and positivity.