Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE INDIAN SONG OF SONGS (GITA GOVINDA): SARGA THE EIGHHTH, by JAYADEVA Poet's Biography First Line: For when the weary night had worn away Last Line: Vilakshalakshmipati.) Subject(s): Beauty; Soul | ||||||||
KHANDITAVARNANE VILAKSHALAKSHMIPATI. THE REBUKING OF KRISHNA. For when the weary night had worn away In these vain fears, and the clear morning broke, Lo, Krishna! lo, the longed-for of her soul Came too!in the glad light he came, and bent His knee, and clasped his hands; on his dumb lips Fear, wonder, joy, passion, and reverence Strove for the trembling words, and Radha knew Joy won for him and her; yet none the less A little time she chided him, and sang: (What follows is to the Music BHAIRAVI and the Mode YATI.) Krishna!then thou hast found me!and thine eyes Heavy and sad and stained, as if with weeping! Ah! is it not that those, which were thy prize, So radiant seemed that all night thou wert keeping Vigils of tender wooing?have thy Love! Here is no place for vows broken in making: Thou lotus-eyed! thou soul for whom I strove! Go! ere I listen, my just mind forsaking. Krishna! my Krishna with the woodland-wreath! Return, or I shall soften as I blame; The while thy very lips are dark to the teeth With dye that from her lids and lashes came, Left on the mouth I touched. Fair traitor! go! Say not they darkened, lacking food and sleep Long waiting for my face; I turn itso Go! ere I half believe thee, pleading deep; But wilt thou plead, when, like a love-verse printed On the smooth polish of an emerald, I see the marks she stamped, the kisses dinted Large-lettered, by her lips? Thy speech withheld Speaks all too painly; go,abide thy choice! If thou dost stay, I shall more greatly grieve thee Not records of her victory?peace, dear voice! Hence with that godlike brow, lest I believe thee. For dar'st thou feign the saffron on thy bosom Was not implanted in disloyal embrace? Or that this many-colored love-tree blossom Shone not, but yesternight, above her face? Comest thou here, so late, to be forgiven, Oh, thou, in whose eyes Truth was made to live? Oh, thou, so worthy else of grace and heaven? Oh, thou, so nearly won? Ere I forgive, Go, Krishna! go!lest I should think, unwise, Thy heart not false, as thy long lingering seems, Lest, seeing myself so imaged in thine eyes, I shame the name of Pityturn to dreams The sacred sounds of vows; make Virtue grudge Her praise to Mercy, calling thy sin slight; Go therefore, dear offender! go! thy Judge Had best not see thee to give sentence right. But may he grant us peace at last and bliss Who heard,and smiled to hear,delays like this, Delays that dallied with a dream come true, Fond wilful angers; for the maid laughed too To see, as Radha ended, her hand take His dark robe for her veil, and Krishna make The word she spoke for parting kindliest sign He should not go, but stay. Oh, grace divine, Be ours too! Jayadev, the Poet of love, Prays it from Hari, lordliest above. Here ends that Sarga of the Gîta Govinda entitled KHANDITAVARNANE VILAKSHALAKSHMIPATI.) | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE CRUEL FALCON by ROBINSON JEFFERS THE WHOLE SOUL by PHILIP LEVINE I KNOW MY SOUL by CLAUDE MCKAY HONORING THE SAND; IN MEMORY OF JOSEPH CAMPBELL by ROBERT BLY THE CHINESE PEAKS; FOR DONALD HALL by ROBERT BLY THE LIFE OF TOWNS: TOWN OF THE EXHUMATION by ANNE CARSON THE INDIAN SONG OF SONGS (GITA GOVINDA): HYMN TO VISHNU by JAYADEVA THE INDIAN SONG OF SONGS (GITA GOVINDA): INTRODUCTION by JAYADEVA THE INDIAN SONG OF SONGS (GITA GOVINDA): SARGA THE ELEVENTH by JAYADEVA |
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