SRI AUROBINDO

Translations

from Sanskrit and Other Languages

II. From Bengali

Selected Poems of Jnanadas

VI

The divine Soul besets the human as it fares upon the business of life, adorned and beautiful and exacts dues of love.

Beautiful Radha, Caanou dost thou see not

Toll-keeper here, that thou wouldst pass by stealth;

But I have caught thee fast and thou shalt go not

Until thou give me toll of all thy wealth.

First thine eyes’ unguent, then thy star vermilion,

For these a million kisses I extort,

Upon thy bosom’s vest I fix two million

And the stringed pearls that with thy bosom sport.

For bracelets fine to these thy small wrists clinging

And jewelled belt three million kisses say,

This red lac on thy feet and anklets bringing

Four million thou hast doomed thy lips to pay.

These thy king asks nor will one jot recall;

These yield me patiently in law’s due course

Or here amidst thy damsels from thy small

Red mouth I will extort my dues by force.