Sri Aurobindo
Collected Poems
SABCL - Volume 5
II. Sonnets
1930–1950
A deep enigma is the soul of man.
His conscious life obeys the Inconscient’s rule,
His need of joy is learned in sorrow’s school;
His heart is a chaos and an empyrean.
His subtle ignorance borrows Wisdom’s plan;
His mind is the Infinite’s sharp and narrow tool.
He wades through mud to reach the Wonderful,
And does what Matter must or Spirit can.
All powers in his living’s soil take root
Hoping to grow and dominate the earth.2
This little creature mind that would be great3
Is Nature’s fool and Godhead’s struggling birth4,
A demigod and a demon and a brute,
The slave and the creator of his fate.
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: Man the Enigma
2 2009 ed. CWSA, vol.2: And claim from him their place and struggling right:
3 2009 ed. CWSA, vol.2: His ignorant creature mind crawling towards light
4 2009 ed. CWSA, vol.2: candidate