Rabindranath Tagore
The Postmaster
Der Postmeister
A postmaster from Calcutta is sent to the remote village of Ulapur, where he has little company and little to do. His only companion is Ratan, an orphan girl who does odd jobs for him, and out of loneliness he teaches her to read. When he falls ill in the rains and asks for a transfer, their small friendship proves weightier than he expected.
B120 minAudio
How it begins
The postmaster first took up his duties in the village of Ulapur. Though the village was a small one, there was an indigo factory near by, and the proprietor, an Englishman, had managed to get a post office established.
Der Postmeister trat seinen Dienst zuerst im Dorf Ulapur an. Obwohl das Dorf klein war, gab es in der Nähe eine Indigofabrik, und der Besitzer, ein Engländer, hatte es geschafft, ein Postamt einrichten zu lassen.
Our postmaster belonged to Calcutta. He felt like a fish out of water in this remote village. His office and living-room were in a dark thatched shed, not far from a green, slimy pond, surrounded on all sides by a dense growth.
Unser Postmeister stammte aus Kalkutta. In diesem abgelegenen Dorf fühlte er sich wie ein Fisch auf dem Trockenen. Sein Büro und Wohnraum befanden sich in einem dunklen, strohgedeckten Schuppen, nicht weit von einem grünen, schleimigen Teich entfernt, der von allen Seiten von dichtem Gestrüpp umgeben war.
The men employed in the indigo factory had no leisure; moreover, they were hardly desirable companions for decent folk. Nor is a Calcutta boy an adept in the art of associating with others. Among strangers he appears either proud or ill at ease.
Die Männer, die in der Indigofabrik arbeiteten, hatten keine Freizeit; zudem waren sie kaum wünschenswerte Gefährten für anständige Leute. Auch ist ein Junge aus Kalkutta nicht gerade ein Meister in der Kunst, mit anderen umzugehen. Unter Fremden wirkt er entweder stolz oder unbeholfen.
Languages
- The Postmaster · English (original)B1 Intermediate · 2,118 words · ~20 min · Audio
- Der Postmeister · GermanB1 Intermediate · 2,017 words · ~15 min · Audio
- Ο Ταχυδρόμος · GreekB1 Intermediate · 2,051 words · ~15 min
- El jefe de correos · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 2,112 words · ~20 min · Audio
- Le maître de poste · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 2,292 words · ~20 min · Audio
- पोस्टमास्टर · HindiB1 Intermediate · 2,264 words · ~20 min
- Kepala Kantor Pos · IndonesianB1 Intermediate · 1,901 words · ~15 min
- Il maestro di posta · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 2,036 words · ~15 min
- 『郵便局長』 · JapaneseB1 Intermediate
- 우체국장 · KoreanB1 Intermediate · 1,343 words · ~10 min
- O chefe dos correios · PortugueseB1 Intermediate · 2,174 words · ~20 min
- Dirigintele de poștă · RomanianB1 Intermediate · 2,044 words · ~15 min
- Posta Müdürü · TurkishB1 Intermediate · 1,471 words · ~10 min
- Người coi bưu điện · VietnameseB1 Intermediate · 2,674 words · ~20 min
- 邮政局长 · ChineseB1 Intermediate
German with English · Greek with English · English with German · English with Greek · English with Vietnamese · Spanish with English · French with English · Hindi with English · Indonesian with English · Italian with English · Japanese with English · Korean with English · Portuguese with English · Romanian with English · Turkish with English · Vietnamese with English · Chinese with English · English with Spanish · English with French · English with Hindi · English with Indonesian · English with Italian · English with Japanese · English with Korean · English with Portuguese · English with Romanian · English with Turkish · English with Chinese · German with Greek · German with Spanish · German with French · German with Hindi · German with Indonesian · German with Italian · German with Japanese · German with Korean · German with Portuguese · German with Romanian · German with Turkish · German with Vietnamese · German with Chinese · Greek with German · Greek with Spanish · Greek with French · Greek with Hindi · Greek with Indonesian · Greek with Italian · Greek with Japanese · Greek with Korean · Greek with Portuguese · Greek with Romanian · Greek with Turkish · Greek with Vietnamese · Greek with Chinese · Spanish with German · Spanish with Greek · Spanish with French · Spanish with Hindi · Spanish with Indonesian · Spanish with Italian · Spanish with Japanese · Spanish with Korean · Spanish with Portuguese · Spanish with Romanian · Spanish with Turkish · Spanish with Vietnamese · Spanish with Chinese · French with German · French with Greek · French with Spanish · French with Hindi · French with Indonesian · French with Italian · French with Japanese · French with Korean · French with Portuguese · French with Romanian · French with Turkish · French with Vietnamese · French with Chinese · Hindi with German · Hindi with Greek · Hindi with Spanish · Hindi with French · Hindi with Indonesian · Hindi with Italian · Hindi with Japanese · Hindi with Korean · Hindi with Portuguese · Hindi with Romanian · Hindi with Turkish · Hindi with Vietnamese · Hindi with Chinese · Indonesian with German · Indonesian with Greek · Indonesian with Spanish · Indonesian with French · Indonesian with Hindi · Indonesian with Italian · Indonesian with Japanese · Indonesian with Korean · Indonesian with Portuguese · Indonesian with Romanian · Indonesian with Turkish · Indonesian with Vietnamese · Indonesian with Chinese · Italian with German · Italian with Greek · Italian with Spanish · Italian with French · Italian with Hindi · Italian with Indonesian · Italian with Japanese · Italian with Korean · Italian with Portuguese · Italian with Romanian · Italian with Turkish · Italian with Vietnamese · Italian with Chinese · Japanese with German · Japanese with Greek · Japanese with Spanish · Japanese with French · Japanese with Hindi · Japanese with Indonesian · Japanese with Italian · Japanese with Korean · Japanese with Portuguese · Japanese with Romanian · Japanese with Turkish · Japanese with Vietnamese · Japanese with Chinese · Korean with German · Korean with Greek · Korean with Spanish · Korean with French · Korean with Hindi · Korean with Indonesian · Korean with Italian · Korean with Japanese · Korean with Portuguese · Korean with Romanian · Korean with Turkish · Korean with Vietnamese · Korean with Chinese · Portuguese with German · Portuguese with Greek · Portuguese with Spanish · Portuguese with French · Portuguese with Hindi · Portuguese with Indonesian · Portuguese with Italian · Portuguese with Japanese · Portuguese with Korean · Portuguese with Romanian · Portuguese with Turkish · Portuguese with Vietnamese · Portuguese with Chinese · Romanian with German · Romanian with Greek · Romanian with Spanish · Romanian with French · Romanian with Hindi · Romanian with Indonesian · Romanian with Italian · Romanian with Japanese · Romanian with Korean · Romanian with Portuguese · Romanian with Turkish · Romanian with Vietnamese · Romanian with Chinese · Turkish with German · Turkish with Greek · Turkish with Spanish · Turkish with French · Turkish with Hindi · Turkish with Indonesian · Turkish with Italian · Turkish with Japanese · Turkish with Korean · Turkish with Portuguese · Turkish with Romanian · Turkish with Vietnamese · Turkish with Chinese · Vietnamese with German · Vietnamese with Greek · Vietnamese with Spanish · Vietnamese with French · Vietnamese with Hindi · Vietnamese with Indonesian · Vietnamese with Italian · Vietnamese with Japanese · Vietnamese with Korean · Vietnamese with Portuguese · Vietnamese with Romanian · Vietnamese with Turkish · Vietnamese with Chinese · Chinese with German · Chinese with Greek · Chinese with Spanish · Chinese with French · Chinese with Hindi · Chinese with Indonesian · Chinese with Italian · Chinese with Japanese · Chinese with Korean · Chinese with Portuguese · Chinese with Romanian · Chinese with Turkish · Chinese with Vietnamese
Questions
Which languages can I read The Postmaster in?
English, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese. Pick the language you want to read and the one to keep beside it: every paragraph sits next to its translation, so you can check a sentence without losing your place.
What level is it?
The original English is B1 Intermediate. In translation, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese are B1 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from Pre-A1 (starter) to C2.
How long is it?
About 2,118 words: around 5–20 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.
Is it free?
Yes. Read it online with no account. The downloads (PDF, EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account.
Can I read it on a Kindle or Kobo?
Yes. Download the EPUB for Kobo, Apple Books and most e-readers, or the AZW3 or MOBI for a Kindle, with each paragraph followed by its translation. There is also a side-by-side PDF to print, and each language on its own.