The Shakta

The Shakta ¹

Remove the thorns of life by Thy Elysian gift of prayer,

My heart with Thy sword of dawn from its thousand bonds make bare.

Pour from Thy temple's rainbow gleam

Melody in a sacred stream,

Initiate in Thy lotus-vow with the voice of Spring's delight:

Cleave in my heart with Thy sword of dawn its thousand bonds of Night.

Churn Thy moon-song of joyful morrow

From the ocean of my lonely sorrow,

Let each drop of my blood dance bugling to Thy march of might:

Cleave in my heart with Thy sword of dawn its thousand bonds of Night.

My worship be Thy frankincense,

My love–Thy rhythm-opulence;

Silence my dread of fall–strengthen my soul to heavenward flight:

Cleave in my heart with Thy sword of dawn its thousand bonds of Night.

Let the lightning of Thy beauty shine

Chasing earth's false dreams, Mother mine!

Conquer my rebel self-love with surrender's peace and light:

Cleave in my heart with Thy sword of dawn its thousand bonds of Night.

DILIP KUMAR ROY

(Translated from his own BENGALI poem, and corrected by Sri Aurobindo)

^{1 Shakta is a worshipper of Shakti–the Divine in its dynamic Mother-aspect.
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