Sri Aurobindo

Translations

CWSA.- Volume 5

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

Selected Poems of Ganodas

1

(The soul, as yet divided from the Eternal, yet having caught a glimpse of his intoxicating beauty, grows passionate in remembrance and swoons with the sensuous expectation of union.)

O beauty meant all hearts to move!

O body made for girls to kiss!

In every limb an idol of love,

A spring of passion and of bliss.

The eyes that once his beauty see,

Poor eyes! can never turn away.

The heart follows him ceaselessly

Like a wild beast behind its prey.

Not to be touched those limbs, alas!

They are another’s nest of joy.

But ah their natural loveliness!

Ah God, the dark, the wonderful boy!

His graceful sportive motion sweet

Is as an ornament to earth,

And from his lovely pacing feet

Beauties impossible take birth.

Catching one look not long nor sure,

One look of casual glory shed,

How many noble maidens pure

Lay down on love as on a bed.

The heart within the heart deep hid

He ravishes; almost in play

One looks,– ere falling of the lid,

Her heart has gone with him away!

Oh if his eyes wake such sweet pain

That even sleep will not forget,

What dreadful sweetness waits me when

Body and passionate body meet?