I will lay bare my heart’s whole flame,Sri Aurobindo
Translations
CWSA.- Volume 5
Part Two. Translations from Bengali
Section One.
Vaishnava Devotional Poetry
Selected Poems of Ganodas
7
(The human soul, in a moment of rapt excitement when the robe of sense has fallen from it, is surprised and seized by the vision of the Eternal.)
I will lay bare my heart’s whole flame,
To thee, heart’s sister, yea the whole.
The darkhued limbs I saw in dream,
To these I have given my body and soul.
It was a night of wildest showers;
Ever incessant and amain
The heavens thundered through the hours,
Outside was pattering of the rain.
Exulting in the lightning’s gleams,
Joyous, I lay down on my bed;
The dress had fallen from my limbs,
I slept with rumours overhead.
The peacocks in the treetops high
Between their gorgeous dances shrilled,
The cuckoo cried exultantly,
The frogs were clamorous in the field;
The bird of rumour shrieking fled
Amidst the rain; at such a time
A vision stood beside my bed.
He moved like fire into my soul,
The love of him became a part
Of being, and oh his whispers stole
Murmuring in and filled my heart.
His loving ways, his tender wiles,
The hearts that feel, ah me! so burn
That maidens pure with happy smiles
From shame and peace and honour turn.
The lustre of his looks effaced
The moon, of many lovely moods
He is the master; on his breast
There was a wreath of jasmine buds.
Holding my feet, down on the bed
He sat; my breasts were fluttering birds;
His hands upon my limbs he laid,
He bought me for his slave with words.
O me his eyebrows curved like bows!
Love from his sidelong glances goes
And takes girls prisoner at sight.
He speaks with little magic smiles
That force a girl’s heart from her breast.
How many sweet ways he beguiles,
I know; they cannot be expressed.
Burning he tore me from my bed
And to his passionate bosom clutched;
I could not speak a word; he said
Nothing, his lips and my lips touched.
And from my heart went fear and shame
And maiden pride; panting I lay
And felt him round me like a flame.