'Translations' by Sri Aurobindo - Page 1 of 30   Vidula   Vidula   This poem is based on a passage comprising four chapters (Adhyayas) in the Udyog-parva of the Mahabharat. It is not a close translation but a free poetic paraphrase of the subject matter; it follows closely the sequence of the thoughts with occasional rearrangements, translates freely in parts, in others makes some departures or adds, develops and amplifies to bring out fully the underlying spirit and idea. The style of the original is terse, brief, packed and allusive, sometimes knotted into a pregnant obscurity by the drastic economy of word and phrase. It would have been im

To the Cuckoo   O Cuckoo that peckest at the blossomed flower of honey dripping champaka and, inebriate, pipest forth the melodious notes, be seated in thy ease and with thy babblings, which are yet no babblings, call out for the coming of my Lord of the Venkata hill. For He, the pure one, bearing in his left hand the white summoning conch shows me not his form. But He has invaded my heart; and while I pine and sigh for his love, He looks on indifferent as if it were all a play.   I feel as if my bones had melted away and my long javelin eyes have not closed their lids for these many days. I am tossed on the waves of the sea of pain without finding the boat t

  The Pilot   In the dark without end Who art Thou, O Friend? I am led as if by a hand: But cannot see, Nor reach to Thee, Nothing can understand. To my eyes is given no light, All seems everlasting night Thou only my comrade there, Helping my plight: To rout the gloom Thy star-lamp relume — Thy splendid vision reveal. Pierced by the thorns of pain, I ask again and again: "To what far alien realm This hard path?" but in vain! Once let me hear, Love's lips grown near, Whisper to my appeal. If Thou art here by my side, In this heart-lost darkness wide Stretch out Thy hand My wea

Part One   Translations from Sanskrit   Sri Aurobindo with students of the Baroda College, c. 1906   The first page of "Selected Poems of Bidyapati" Section One   The Ramayana Pieces from the Ramayana 1 Speech of Dussaruth to the assembled States-General of his Empire     Then with a far reverberating sound As of a cloud in heaven or war-drum's call Deep-voiced to battle

'Translations' by Sri Aurobindo - Page 1 of 30 Nammalwar's Hymn of the Golden Age   'Tis glory, glory, glory! For Life's hard curse has expired; swept out are Pain and Hell, and Death has nought to do here. Mark ye, the Iron Age shall end. For we have seen the hosts of Vishnu; richly do they enter in and chant His praise and dance and thrive. (1)   We have seen, we have seen, we have seen — seen things full sweet for our eyes. Come, all ye lovers of God, let us shout and dance for joy with oft-made surrenderings. Wide do they roam on earth singing songs and dancing, the hosts of Krishna who wears the cool and beautiful Tulsi, the desire of the Bees. (2)   The I

'Translations' by Sri Aurobindo - Page 1 of 30   Section Two   The Mahabharata   Sabha Parva or Book of the Assembly-Hall   CANTO I The Building of the Hall   And before Krishna's face to great Urjuun Maia with clasped hands bending; mild and boon His voice as gratitude's: "Me the strong ire Had slain of Krishna or the hungry fire Consumed: by thee I live, O Kuuntie's son: What shall I do for thy sake?" And Urjuun, "Paid is thy debt. Go thou and prosper: love Repays the lover: this our friendship prove." "Noble thy word and like thyself;" returned The Titan,

APPENDIX II A Later Translation of the Opening of the Gita   DHRITARASHTRA In the sacred field, the field of the Kurus met together with will to battle what did my people and the people of the Pandavas, O Sunjaya?   SUNJAYA When Duryodhana the King saw marshalled the Pandava host, he approached the Teacher and spoke this word. "Behold, O Teacher, this mighty army of the sons of Pandu marshalled by Drupad's son, thy disciple wise of brain. Here are heroes, mighty bow

'Translations' by Sri Aurobindo - Page 1 of 30 The Bhagavad Gita THE FIRST SIX CHAPTERS   Chapter I   DHRITARASHTRA In the holy Field, the Field of the Kurus, assembled for the fight, what did my children, O Sunjoy, what did Pandou's sons?   SUNJOY  Then the King, even Duryodhan, when he beheld the Pandav army marshalled in battle array, approached the Master and spoke this word. "Behold, O Master, this mighty host of the sons of Pandou marshalled by Drupad's son, thy disciple deep of brain. There are heroes and great bowmen equal unto Bheme and Urjoona in war, Yuyudhan and Virata and Drupad, the mighty car-warrior, Dhristaketou and Chekitana an

  Radha's Appeal (Imitated from the Bengali of Chundidas)   O love, what more shall I, shall Radha speak, Since mortal words are weak? In life, in death, In being and in breath No other lord but thee can Radha seek.   About thy feet the mighty net is wound Wherein my soul they bound; Myself resigned To servitude my mind; My heart than thine no sweeter slavery found.   I, Radha, thought; through the three worlds my gaze I sent in wild amaze; I was alone. None called me "Radha!", none; I saw no hand to clasp, no friendly face.   I sought my father's house; my father's sight Was empty of delight

'Translations' by Sri Aurobindo - Page 1 of 30   Section Four   Bhartrihari The Century of Life   The Nitishataka of Bhartrihari freely rendered into English verse I had at first entitled the translation "The Century of Morals", but the Sanskrit word Niti has a more complex sense. It includes also policy and worldly wisdom, the rule of successful as well as the law of ideal conduct and gives scope for observation of all the turns and forces determining the movement of human character and action.  The Shataka or "century" should normally comprise a hundred epigrams, but the number that has come down to us is considerably more. The excess is probably due to ac