Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 2. 1937

Letter ID: 1983

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

June 28, 1937

J is not fat, but she seems to think so. People say she is in Tulsi’s group which has naturally alarmed her. And she is thinking of dieting: cutting down rice, bread, etc. What do you say to that?

That seems to me nonsense – in any case cutting down food is not advisable.

S came today with a sad and determined face and said that he could not sleep at all, too much pain. Twice you kept silent over his treatment. Silent again?

How can I prescribe? It is your business.

I admit, Sir, that yesterday’s poem is damned masterly and superbly beautiful. Only if I could be the master! I ask myself, “How much of it is yours? Well, since nothing is yours, why shed tears?”

Can’t say that nothing is yours.

Do you think hooking like this will continue or a time will come when everything will be a finished product?

Certainly, you have sometimes had it; but still usually there is the mixture of an old poetic mind and your own romantic sentimentalism helping it. That luxury has got to go, so that the inspiration from a higher source may come out clear.

“The moon’s pale songs ringing in the dark

Are its own mystery-voice ...”

Can songs be pale?

May, but moon’s songs are rather toffee.

Have you brushed aside Surawardy’s poems?

No, I have combed them only. I send you the results. A few lines are extremely fine, others are very good, others give a fine poetic turn. But he lapses from all that to a modernist rhythmlessness and triviality to which I cannot get accustomed. Anyway – fashion is fashion and the Time spirit has its tricks,– so I leave it there.