Vande Mataram: English Translation, Full Lyrics, and Historical Significance

Vande Mataram ("Mother, I bow to thee") is India's official National Song. Composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in the 1870s and featured in his 1882 novel Anandamath, it served as the rallying cry of India's freedom struggle.

English Translation (Stanza by Stanza)

The most acclaimed translation of Vande Mataram into English was rendered by philosopher and freedom fighter Sri Aurobindo Ghose.

Official National Song (First Two Stanzas)

Stanza 1

Vande Mātaram! Sujalāṁ suphalāṁ malayaja-śītalām, Śasya-śyāmalāṁ Mātaram! Vande Mātaram!

• Translation: Mother, I bow to thee! Rich with thy hurrying streams, Bright with orchard gleams, Cool with thy winds of delight, Dark fields waving, Mother of might, Mother free!

Stanza 2

Śubhra-jyotsnāṁ pulakita-yāminīm, Phulla-kusumita druma-dala-śobhinīm, Suhāsinīṁ sumadhura-bhāṣiṇīm, Sukhadāṁ varadāṁ Mātaram! Vande Mātaram!

• Translation: Glory of moonlight dreams, Over thy branches and lordly streams, Clad in thy blossoming trees, Mother, giver of ease, Laughing low and sweet! Mother, I kiss thy feet, Speaker sweet and low! Mother, to thee I bow.

Remaining Stanzas of the Full Poem

Stanza 3

Koṭi-koṭi-kaṇṭha-kalakala-nināda-karāle, Koṭi-koṭi-bhujair dhṛta-khara-karavāle, Ke bole Mā tumi abale! Bahu-bala-dhāriṇīṁ namāmi tāriṇīm, Ripu-dala-vāriṇīṁ Mātaram! Vande Mātaram!

• Translation: Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands, When the swords flash out in seventy million hands, And seventy million voices roar Thy dreadful name from shore to shore? With many strengths who art mighty and stored, To thee I call, Mother and Lord!

Stanza 4

Tumi vidyā, tumi dharma, Tumi hṛdi, tumi marma, Tvaṁ hi prāṇāḥ śarīre! Bāhute tumi Mā śakti, Hṛdaye tumi Mā bhakti, Tomārai pratimā gaḍi mandire-mandire. Vande Mātaram!

• Translation: Thou art wisdom, thou art law, Thou art heart, our soul, our breath, Thou art love divine, the awe In our hearts that conquers death. Thine the strength that nerves the arm, Thine the beauty, thine the charm. Every image made divine In our temples is but thine.

Stanza 5 & 6

Tvaṁ hi Durgā daśa-praharaṇa-dhāriṇī, Kamalā kamala-dala-vihāriṇī, Vāṇī vidyā-dāyinī, namāmi tvām, Namāmi kamalāṁ amalāṁ atulām, Sujalāṁ suphalāṁ Mātaram! Śyāmalāṁ saralāṁ susmitāṁ bhūṣitām, Dharaṇīṁ bharaṇīṁ Mātaram! Vande Mātaram!

• Translation: Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen, With her hands that strike and her swords of sheen, Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned, And the Muse a hundred-toned, Pure and perfect without peer, Mother, lend thine ear. Rich with thy hurrying streams, Bright with thy orchard gleams, Dark of hue, O candid-fair, Loveliest of all earthly lands, Showering wealth from well-stored hands! Mother sweet, I bow to thee, Mother great and free!

Key Facts & Historical Background

• Author & Origins: Written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in a blend of Sanskrit and Bengali, later included in his novel Anandamath (1882).
• Independence Movement: Rabindranath Tagore sang it publicly at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress, turning it into a national anthem of resistance against British colonial rule.
• National Song Status: On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted Vande Mataram as the National Song, giving it equal status with the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
• Core Symbolism: The poem personifies India as a nurturing mother who provides water, fruits, and fertile harvest, while also embodying strength and protection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "Vande Mataram" mean in English? It translates directly to "Mother, I bow to thee" or "I salute the Motherland."

Who wrote the English translation of Vande Mataram? The most prominent poetic translation was written in 1909 by Sri Aurobindo Ghose.

How is Vande Mataram different from Jana Gana Mana? Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India, while Vande Mataram is the National Song. Both hold equal constitutional honor.