SURYAKANT
TRIPATHI NIRALA
Translated
from Hindi by I. K. SHARMA
On
a plant creeping
In
the void of woods,
a
soft, pure, sublime maiden,
lodged
in love-dreams–
a
bud of juhee, blessed
couched
in the lap of leaves–
listless,
with eyes shut.
It
was a vernal night
and
Wind, called Malayanil,
love-torn,
away from his love
was
in a land afar.
Absence
sent him aching memories of the sweet hour,
floated
that midnight bathed in moonlight shower,
pined
for tremulous, silken limbs of the sweet-heart,
and
lo!
Wind
leaped over
woods
deep and hills,
lakes
and streams,
groves
and tangled bowers,
was
where he had love sports
with
the bud opened up.
Lying
snug in slumber
she,
aware of his coming?
Gently
kissed the lover her checks,
rocked
the creeper’s strand, like a swing,
awake
she lay still,
the
wrong unmindful,
keeping
her eyes
big,
curved. slumbrous closed tight–
she
was drunk deep in youth’s wine.
Who
could bid her?
The
lover cruel
rode
rough-shod over,
bullied
her trame, frail and fair
in
whiffs violent,
and
bruised her round, radiant cheeks.
Thrilled,
the maiden
sphered
her wondering gaze around,
and
feeling the lover around her bed
the
gentle-faced
smiled,
opened up, and spake:
Love!
Play amor a-bounds.