Mother, I shall weave a chain of pearls for thy neck with my tears of sorrow (song 83) by Rabindranath Tagore

 

Mother, I shall weave a chain of pearls for thy neck with my tears of sorrow (song 83) by Rabindranath Tagore 

Mother, I shall weave a chain of pearls for thy neck with my tears of sorrow.

The stars have wrought their anklets of light to deck thy feet, but mine will hang upon thy breast.

Wealth and fame come from thee and it is for thee to give or to withhold them. But this my sorrow is absolutely mine own, and when I bring it to thee as my offering thou rewardest me with thy grace.

Mother, I shall weave a chain of pearls for thy neck with my tears of sorrow.

 

The poem speaks about how suffering and regret for our mistakes can cleanse and save our soul. The poet addresses God as a loving mother, asking her to wear pure, white pearls made from his tears of sadness around her neck. He feels a deep need to apologize to God for his sins. He sees God as radiant and heavenly, yet this divine light also touches his own mother's feet.

The poet believes that his chain of tears, born from genuine sorrow, shines even brighter because it is filled with true repentance. He is confident that God, like a loving mother, will cherish these tears as if they were a precious necklace.

God is happiest when His children truly repent for their mistakes. Material gifts like money or fame mean little to Him since He already owns everything. What God treasures most are the sincere tears of a sorrowful soul. Through suffering, the soul becomes purified, and offering this purity to God brings blessings in return.

In his prayer, the poet offers these tears of regret to God, the Mother and Creator, as a sign of his remorse. He creates a necklace of sorrow, knowing that a mother's heart is touched when her child is truly sorry. In such moments, God’s mercy flows freely to those who repent sincerely.

This feeling of deep repentance and devotion is also captured beautifully in T.S. Eliot's Ash Wednesday.

"Blessed sister, holy mother, spirit of the fountain, spirit of the garden". He calls the divine spirit as his mother as Tagore does, and prays her "Suffer me not to be separated And let my cry come unto thee".