GREEN TIGER

There is no going to the Gold

Save on four feet

Of the Green Tiger in whose heart's hold

Is the ineffable heat.

Raw with a burning body

Ruled by no thought—

Hero of the huge head roaring

Ever to be caught!

Backward and forward he struggles,

Till Sun and Moon tame

By cutting his neck asunder:

Then the heart's flame

Is free and the blind gap brings

A new life's beat—

Red Dragon with eagle-wings

Yet tiger-feet!

Time's blood is sap between

God's flower, God's root—

Infinity waits but to crown

This Super-brute.

Sri Aurobindo's Comment

"Very powerful and original poem. There may be some doubt as to whether the images have coalesced into a perfect whole. But it may be that if they did, the startling originality of the combination might lose something of its vehement force, and in that case it may be allowed to stand as it is. At any rate it is an extremely original and powerful achievement."

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