The Queen of Flowers

BY BALKAVI ¹

There was once a little carpet, dears,
A little carpet of green green grass;
And on the soft green carpet, dears,
The Queen of Flowers did play.
And the little grass carpet did laugh, dears,
Laughed to the music of the morning wind;
The little Queen was happy, dears,
Happy with the flowers, happy
With the little grass blades that laughed.
One day the wind of the morning came laughing by,
And sweetly did he kiss, the Queen of Flowers;
"Little one, little one" said he "I know your little

secret,

"Wasn't the pink ray of the morning sun smiling at

you?"

The little Queen blushed and blushed

Until her cheeks did glow,

And the wind went smiling by.

Translated from MARATHI by

R. L. RAU

1 Balkavi or Mr. Thomre, to give him his real name, was a Marathi poet who died very young. His poems are exquisite, and he is to Maharashtra what William Blake is to the English people.