Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Volume 2. 1934 — 1935
Something thrilling in a sense – metrically. Please note the correspondence of general movement. It is this lilt that came to me – yesterday for “Recapture” – I caught myself pronouncing the lilt (in English) in that Bengali way. Here you will note my scansion. Four syllables to each foot (syllable unit) but a caesura of one syllable at the end of each of the first six lines. Very simple – but extremely delectable to the Bengali ear. Tell me do you see the correspondence of the two lilt? It is strange you know that English lilt can have such a close correspondence. O metre – inscrutable is thy name! But apart from the metre tell me isn’t the whole movement sweet, subtle and delicate? I [?] a great aesthetic joy – for the translation also you will find very close. But alas, this joy is too unqualifiedly aesthetic (due to a kind of metrical tour de force) to be comme il faut from the yogic viewpoint. But seeing that such elation is very difficult to resist for the likes of us you will surely excuse in all solemnity? What?
Very beautiful indeed, the translation and the rhythm exquisite. So thrill away as much as you like!
It is most amazing that after every tension I get such new flashes metrically though! Reminded of Bergson who says: “Life’s unfolding proceeds by tensions followed by evolution.” Is it true that? But whatever you may say against dramas life does corroborate Bergson at least this terrestrial life as it is does. N’est-ce pas? At least somewhat? Eh?
Humph! Such a method is all very well, but one has so much of it in life and in this Ashram that I rather yearn for a smoother unBergsonian evolution. Even if the Lord God and Bergson planned it together, I move an amendment.