Sri Aurobindo

Collected Poems

SABCL - Volume 5

I. Short Poems
1902-1930

Life

Mystic Miracle, daughter¹ of Delight,

Life, thou ecstasy,

Let the radius of thy flight

Be eternity.

On thy wings thou bearest high

Glory and disdain,

Godhead and mortality,

Ecstasy and pain.

Take me in thy wild² embrace

Without weak reserve

Body dire and unveiled face;

Faint not, Life, nor swerve.

All thy bliss I would explore,

All thy tyranny.

Cruel like the lion’s roar,

Sweet like springtide be.

Like a Titan I would take,

Like a God enjoy,

Like a man contend and make,

Revel like a boy.

More I will not ask of thee,

Nor my fate would choose;

King or conquered let me be,

Live³ or lose.

Even in rags I am a god;

Fallen, I am divine;

High I triumph when down-trod,

Long I live when slain.

Later edition of this work: The Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo.- Set in 37 volumes.- Volume 2.- Collected Poems.- Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 2009.- 751 p.

¹ 2009 ed. CWSA, vol.2: Mystic daughter

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² 2009 ed. CWSA, vol.2: bold

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³ 2009 ed. CWSA, vol.2: Vanquish, Life,

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