As the swan sails, so moved sheSri Aurobindo
Translations
CWSA.- Volume 5
Part Two. Translations from Bengali
Section One.
Vaishnava Devotional Poetry
Twenty-two Poems of Bidyapati
9
As the swan sails, so moved she
Then when her face was lost to me.
As she went, O she turned, she looked, she smiled.
Ah arrows made of Love’s own flower,
O sweet magician! faery power!
No mortal maid but an enchantress wild.
Her arms, those sweet twin lovelinesses,
Clasped, bent in languorous self-caresses,
Enhaloed had the lustres of her face.
Her fingers slim for champaks taking,
Love to delicious worship waking
A moon of autumn with such flowers did bless.
Her careless breasts, (O happy lover!)
Their rich defence but half did cover
Because of haste when the light robe was worn.
As tho’ by winds that overpower
Clouds in the season of storm and shower,
The hills of heaven thro’ a dim veil made morn.
Vision delightful! shall again
I ease with you my life’s deep pain?
Ah! shall again division’s boundaries break?
The henna that her feet enrosèd
Was fire wherein my heart enclosèd
Did burn and all my limbs to burn did make.
O lovely maiden, hear the speech
These numbers murmur each to each.
My soul since then no ease, no quiet knows.
Ah! shall I ever, fortune, meet her,
The woman than all women sweeter,
The jewel of all beauties that earth owes?