Raasa LeelA of Krishna with Gopis of Brindavan - Vidyapati!!!!

[Guest guest]

A selection of poetry written by the

Indian poet VIDYAPATI: "LOVE SONGS"

(14th. Century, India)

 

 

^^^^^

 

DAWN

 

Awake, Radha, awake,

Calls the parrot and its love.

For how long must you sleep,

Clasped to the heart of your Dark-Stone?

Listen. The dawn has come

And the red shafts of the sun

Are making us shudder

 

 

 

^^^^^

 

RIVER AND SKY

 

Oh friend, I cannot tell you

Whether he was near or far, real or a dream.

Like a vine of lightning,

As I chained the dark one,

I felt a river flooding in my heart.

Like a shining moon,

I devoured that liquid face.

I felt stars shooting around me.

The sky fell with my dress,

leaving my ravished breasts.

I was rocking like the earth.

In my storming breath

I could hear my ankle-bells,

sounding like bees.

Drowned in the last waters of dissolution,

I knew that this was not the end.

 

Says Vidyapati:

How can I possibly believe such nonsense?

 

^^^^^

 

SHATTERED DESIRE

 

Swelling breasts, hard, like golden cups.

Those wanton glances have stolen my heart,

O beautiful one, protest no longer.

I am eager as a bee, let me take your honey.

Darling, I beg you, holding your hands,

Do not be cruel, have pity on me.

I shall say that again and again,

No more can I suffer the agony of love.

 

Says Vidyapati:

Shattered desire is death.

 

^^^^^

 

BROODING LOVE

 

Madhava:

Your moon-faced love

Had never guessed

That parting hurts.

Radha is tortured,

Dreading you will leave.

Love has robbed her of all power,

She sinks clasping the ground.

 

Kokilas call,

Startled, she wakes

Only to brood again.

Tears wash the make-up

>From her breasts.

Her arms grow thin,

Her bracelets slide to the ground.

Radha's head droops in grief.

Her fingers scar the earth

Bleeding your name.

 

^^^^^

 

TOMORROW

 

He left me saying he would be back tomorrow.

I've covered the floor of my home

Writing: Tomorrow.

When dawn came, they all inquired:

Tell us friend,

When will tomorrow come?

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I gave up my hopes,

My beloved never returned.

 

Says Vidyapati, listen, beautiful one:

Other women held him back.

 

^^^^^

 

TIME AND LOVE

 

As I guard my honor,

My love in a foreign land

Ravishes beauties

Who belong to others.

Safely he will come,

But he has left me dead.

 

O traveler, tell him

That my youth wastes away...

If time goes on

Life too will go

And never shall we love again...

 

^^^^^

 

THINNER THAN THE CRESCENT

 

Her tears carved a river

And she broods on its bank,

Hurt and confused.

You ask her one thing,

She speaks of another.

Her friends believe

That joy may come again.

At times they banish hope

And cease to care.

 

O Madhava,

I have run to call you.

Radha each day

Grows thinner

Thinner than the crescent in the sky...

 

^^^^^

 

COUNTERFEIT

 

When you stay before my eyes

You make me feel your love is firm,

But out of sight how different you are!

How long does false gold shine?

Master of sweetness, I know your ways.

Your heart is counterfeit.

Your love is words.

Speech, love and humor

All are smooth

And only meant to tease

When you shed a girl,

Do you laugh?

Are your arrows always

Poisened with honey?

 

 

http://www.soly.st/Vidyapati.html - 5k - Cached

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

, "Lady Joyce" <shaantih@c...>

wrote:

> > All my inhibition left me in a flash,

> > When he robbed me of my clothes,

> > But his body became my new dress.

> > Like a bee hovering on a lotus leaf

> > He was there in my night, on me!