Sri Aurobindo

Translations

CWSA.- Volume 5

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

Twenty-two Poems of Bidyapati

21

In the spring moonlight the lord of love

Thro’ the amorous revel’s maze doth move;

The crown of love love’s raptures proves,

For Radha his amorous darling moves,

Radha, the ruby of ravishing girls

With him bathed in love’s moonlight whirls.

And all the merry maidens with rapture

Dancing together the light winds capture,

And the bracelets speak with a ravishing cry,

And the murmur of waist-bells rises high –

Meanwhile rapture-waking string

Ripest of strains the sonata of Spring,

That lover and lord of love-languid notes

With tired delight in throbbing throats.

And rumours of violin and bow

And the mighty Queen’s-harp mingle and flow,

And Radha’s ravisher makes sweet measure

With the flute, that musical voice of pleasure.

Bidyapati’s genius richly wove

For King Ruupnaraian this rhythm of love.