Love
Hearken fair damsel, to good advice
Translated by Ananda Coomaraswamy and Arun Sen (1915) · From Bangiya Padabali (trans. 1915)
Sakhī:
Hearken fair damsel, to good advice,
For I shall teach you special wisdom:
First you shall sit beside the bed,
With bended neck, but half regarding him.
And when your lover touches you, push out your hand,
Remaining silent, uttering never a word:
And when he takes you forcibly and clasps you to his side,
Passionately you shall exclaim. Nay, nay!
In his embrace, your body you shall wrench aside,
Breaking away in the moment of delight.
Saith Vidyāpati: What can I say?
Yourself the Guru shall teach e'en Love himself.
Codex Note
The Counsel of Girl-friends (Sakhīs), XXVIII
Cite this poem
MLA
Vidyapati. “Hearken fair damsel, to good advice.” Translated by Ananda Coomaraswamy and Arun Sen. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/vidyapati/27/.
Chicago
Vidyapati. “Hearken fair damsel, to good advice.” Translated by Ananda Coomaraswamy and Arun Sen. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/vidyapati/27/.
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