Part
Five: Desiring, Lotus-Eyed Krishna
Krishna told the friend of
Rádhá:
here I wait but say these words
to pacify and make her come.
At
this the friend to Radha went.
Tenth Song
Malaya breezes speak
of swelling passions,
blooms in bursting tear at lovers' hearts:
forest-garlanded,
he sits apart.
To him the cooling moon-beam seems as fire,
the falling
love god's arrows leave him hurt:
forest-garlanded, he sits apart.
As
though beset by humming bees at night
he puts the pain of
absence out of mind:
forest-garlanded, he sits apart.
He leaves
his pleasant house to live in thickets,
and rolls on earth, his bed, and calls
your name:
forest-garlanded, he sits apart.
Poet Jayadeva tells of loving's
parting: Hari favours fervent thought:
forest-garlanded, he sits apart.
* * *
As was passion first accomplished,
now is Mádhava within his
shrine to love:
constantly in thought and chanting prayers
to have the ferment
of your spilling breasts.
Eleventh Song
To the love god's sporting
house he's gone:
where you must follow him with heavy hips.
Soft winds
inhabiting the Yamuná,
and on its leafy shoreline one who loves
the pendulous
and heavy cowgirls' breasts.
He plays your name and softly on his flute,
adores the air's light pollen you have touched.
Soft winds inhabiting the Yamuná,
and on its leafy shoreline one who loves
the pendulous and heavy cowgirls' breasts.
No
leaf or feather falls but you are near,
his eyes make incantations on the bed.
Soft winds inhabiting the Yamuná,
and on its leafy shoreline one who loves
the pendulous and heavy cowgirls' breasts.
Leave off the anklets that betray
your sport,
but in the darkest thicket, friend, delight.
Soft winds inhabiting
the Yamuná,
and on its leafy shoreline one who loves
the pendulous and heavy
cowgirls' breasts.
Be on Krishna's breast as falling cranes,
the flash that
lights up thunder clouds.
Soft winds inhabiting the Yamuná,
and on its
leafy shoreline one who loves
the pendulous and heavy cowgirls' breasts.
Let
fall the girdle cloth from your strong hips:
your bliss his treasure in that bed
of leaves.
Soft winds inhabiting the Yamuná,
and on its leafy shoreline
one who loves
the pendulous and heavy cowgirls' breasts.
The night is ending,
and in Krishna's pride
fulfill the words I gave to his desire.
Soft winds
inhabiting the Yamuná,
and on its leafy shoreline one who loves
the pendulous
and heavy cowgirls' breasts.
Jayadeva speaks to honour Krishna:
bow to him
who is compassionate.
Soft winds inhabiting the Yamuná,
and on its leafy
shoreline one who loves
the pendulous and heavy cowgirls' breasts.
* * *
Around
and round about he sighs and watches,
and fights, as bees in thickets, for his
breath,
and makes, remakes the bed, and still he watches:
tired, by love
bewildered, still he waits.
Your stubbornness subdued as sets the sun,
and Krishna's passion thickening with night,
the long-lamenting cuckoo bird repeats,
What point delaying? Let the lovers meet.
How many through the dark on some
affair,
anticipating, by their passion sent
to kiss and clasp and claw their
bodies, find
then bashfully it is their spouse they greet.
Still fearful,
trembling on the gloomy path,
by each tree loitering, and with fearful step:
behold so beautiful a one arrive,
seductiveness pervading every limb.