Sri Aurobindo

Translations

CWSA.- Volume 5

Part Two. Translations from Bengali
Section One. Vaishnava Devotional Poetry

Twenty-two Poems of Bidyapati

14

Beauty stood bathing in the river

When I beheld her – Love’s whole quiver

Pierced my heart with fivefold fire.

Her curls flung back from the face of my desire

Rained great tears as tho’ the night

Stood by and wept in fear of the moon’s light.

To every limb her wet robe kissed and clung.

Had even the sage been there

His heart had burned, even his grown young

Seeing through her dress her marvellous limbs made bare.

Her fair twin breasts were river-birds

Whose language is three amorous words.

It seemed that pitying heaven had to one shore

Brought the sweet lovers thence to part no more.

Yet she I deem in such alarm

Held them fast bound within one golden arm,

As if some noise should startle the sweet pair

And they take flight from her.

O amorous boy, be not afraid –

For youth like thine heaven gave this wondrous maid.