SRI AUROBINDO

Translations

from Sanskrit and Other Languages

II. From Bengali

Songs of Bidyapati

XVI

The manèd steeds in the mountain glen¹ for fear

Of these thy locks, O maiden, hide.

The moon at thy face from the high heaven doth peer,

And thy voice alarms the cuckoo’s pride.

Thy gait hath driven the swan to the forest-mere,

And the wild deer flee thy large eyes’ light.

Ah beautiful girl! why mute then to my love?

Lo! fear of thee all these to flight doth move,–

Whom dost thou fear then, maiden bright?

The lotus-buds in the water closed reside

Thy paps being lovelier and the flame

Absorbs the pitcher and in air abide

The pomegranate and quince at thy breasts’ sweet name.

Yea, Shiv doth swallow poison and in ooze

The golden lotus-stalk, lo! shuns

Thine arm and the new leaves shake these hands to see.

But ah! my weary lips refuse

O’erstrained with honey-sweet comparisons

All images to tell Love taught to me.

¹ glens

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