Love

Speak to me, speak to me, dear, and tell me, O tell me

by Vidyapati c. 1352-1448

Translated by Ananda Coomaraswamy and Arun Sen (1915) · From Bangiya Padabali (trans. 1915)

Love

Rādhā:
Speak to me, speak to me, dear, and tell me, O tell me,
Where is the land where my darling dwells?
For Madan's burning arrows, my body is ablaze
To hear some news of him.

What like is she my Lord has met,
That he is so enamoured?
Some maid he must have found, my Lord is glad.
And plunges in my heart an arrow.

Shatter my bangles of shell, take off my fine array,
And break my necklace of ivory-pearls,--
If my dear will forsake me, what is the use of jewels?
Cast them all in the waves of the Jamunā.

Wipe from my hair the scarlet line and put it far away.
All is hopeless without my darling.
Vidyāpati says: Hearken young damsel:
Your sorrow is come to an end.

✦ ✦ ✦

Reproaches, Lack and Longing, CXVII

MLA

Vidyapati. “Speak to me, speak to me, dear, and tell me, O tell me.” Translated by Ananda Coomaraswamy and Arun Sen. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/vidyapati/116/.

Chicago

Vidyapati. “Speak to me, speak to me, dear, and tell me, O tell me.” Translated by Ananda Coomaraswamy and Arun Sen. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/vidyapati/116/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

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