Lyrics[edit]

The verses of Ekla Chalo Re read as follows:

Bengali script[edit]

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Romanization of Bengali (Bengali phonemic transcription)[edit]
(Jodi tor daak shune keu naa se tobe ekla cholo re Tobe ekla cholo, ekla cholo, ekla cholo, ekla cholo re)2 Jodi keu kothaa naa koye, ore ore o abhaagaa, keu kothaa na koye (Jodi shobai thaake mukh phiraaye shobai kore bhoye)2 Tobe poraan khule (o tui mukh phute tor moner kothaa, eklaa bolo re)2 Jodi shobai thaake mukh phirai, ore ore o abhaagaa, shobai phire jaaye (Jodi gohan pothe jaabaar kaale keu phir naa chaaye)2 Tobe pothera kaantaa (o tui rokto maakhaa choronatole eklaa dolo re)2 Jodi aalo naa dhore, ore ore o abhaagaa, aalo na dhore

(Jodi jhor-baadole aadhaara raate duyaar deye ghore)2 Tobe bajraanole (aapon buker paajor jaaliye niye ekalaa jolo re)
Alternatively: Jodi tor dak shune keu na ashe..Tobe ekla cholo.. Tobe ekla cholo, ekla cholo.. ekla cholo re.. Tobe ekla cholo, ekla cholo.. Ekla cholo re... Jodi keu kotha na koy.. jodi shobai thake mukh firaye.. shobai kore voy.. Tobe poran khule.. o tui mukh fute tui moner kotha ekla bolo re. Jodu tor dak shune keu na ashe.. Tobe ekla cholo re... Jodi shobai fire jay.. ore ore o.. ovaga, shobai fire jay.. Jodi gohon pothe jabar kale.. keu fire na chay..(2) Tobe pother kata...... O tui rokto makha choron tole ekla dolo re.. Jodi tor dak shune keu na ashe.. Tobe ekla cholo re.. Jodi alo na dhore, ore ore o.. ovaga, Alo na dhore.. Jodi jhor badole adhar Rate, Duar dey ghore.. Tobe Bojranole.. Apon buker pajor jaliye niye, Ekla jolo re. Jodi tor dak shune keu na ashe tobe, ekla cholore... Tobe ekla cholo.. ekla cholo.. Ekla cholo.. Ekla cholo re....... http://www.sangeethouse.com/lyrics/bengali-song-Jodi-Tore-Daak-ShemayKeo-Naa-Aashay-music-suchitra-mitra.html

Hindi translation[edit]

Translation into English[edit]

Here is the translation in prose of the Bengali original rendered by Rabindranath Tagore himself.[6] If they answer not to thy call walk alone If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall, O thou unlucky one, open thy mind and speak out alone. If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness, O thou unlucky one, trample the thorns under thy tread, and along the blood-lined track travel alone. If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm, O thou unlucky one,

with the thunder flame of pain ignite thy own heart, and let it burn alone.

History[edit]
"Ekla Chalo Re"

Tagore c. 1905, the year he wrote "Ekla Chalo Re"

Single by Rabindranath Tagore[1]

from the album Record no 357[1]

Released

sometime between 1905 and 1908[1]

Format

Cylinder record[1]

Label

H. Bose Swadeshi Records[1]

This album is now lost.

Publication of lyric[edit]

"Ekla Chalo Re" was written at Giridih town in modern-day Jharkhand, India.[7] It was one of the 22 protest songs[8] written during theSwadeshi period of Indian freedom movement and along with "Amar Sonar Bangla", it became one of the key anthem of the AntiPartitionMovement in Bengal Presidency in 1905.[8] Titled as "Eka" ("Alone") the song was first published in the September 1905 issue of Bhandar magazine.[1] "Eka" was first included in Tagores song anthology Baul in 1905.[7] In 1941, it was incorporated into the "Swadesh" ("Homeland") section of Gitabitan, the complete anthology of Tagores music.[9] The musical notation of "Ekla Chalo Re" was prepared by Indira Devi, a niece of Tagore.[1] The notation was first published in the AprilMay 1906 issue of Sangeet-Vignan Prakashika magazine and later incorporated into the 46th volume of Swarabitan, the complete collection of Tagores musical notations.[1]

Recording history[edit]
Ekla Chalo Re was first recorded by Rabindranath Tagore himself sometime between 1905 and 1908.[1] The cylinder record labelled H. Bose Swadeshi Records is now lost.[1] Two other records of the song made by Harendranath Dutta (record no P5270) and Hindustan Party (comprising Amala Dutta, Nandita Devi, Sudhin Dutta and Santidev Ghosh) (record no H 191) are released by Gramophone Company of India and Hindustan Records respectively.[1]

Eminent Rabindra Sangeet singer Suchitra Mitra recorded this song twice, first in 1948 (record no N27823) and then in 1984 (record no PSPL 1501).[10]

In popular culture[edit]
"Ekla Cholo Re"

MENU 0:00 "Ekla Cholo Re" excerpt from Kahaani movie depicts Bachchans infrequent vocal style

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In 2004, "Ekla chalo re" song was used along with Hindi lyrics composed by A.R Rahman in the movie Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero. The song was included in a 2012 Bollywood film; Kahaani and is sung by actor Amitabh Bachhan under music direction ofVishal-Shekhar.