Love

How to direct the flying arrows of her restless eyes

by Vidyapati c. 1352-1448

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

Love

Sakhī:
How to direct the flying arrows of her restless eyes
The Archer-guru teaches her the unfamiliar lesson
(And who would practise uninformed?)

'Oh do not take my life by force!
Toy not with me, O Kānu,--release my skirt;
I am so faint, I fear love's war.

How can my early youth content your will at all?
A little riches cannot satisfy a beggar.
The unblown jasmine of the early spring
Cannot appease the hunger of the lusty bees:
There cannot be a happy ending of a sinful deed--
Be not so rash, when you ought rather hesitate.'

Says Vidyāpati: Oh amorous Kānu!
The maddened elephant heeds not the goad.

✦ ✦ ✦

First Meetings, XLIX

MLA

Vidyapati. “How to direct the flying arrows of her restless eyes.” Translated by Ananda Coomaraswamy and Arun Sen. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/vidyapati/48/.

Chicago

Vidyapati. “How to direct the flying arrows of her restless eyes.” Translated by Ananda Coomaraswamy and Arun Sen. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/vidyapati/48/.

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