'Ketaki'

The Spring is gone and dead is the Rose
The Koil from the Sahakara bower has fled,
Cloud-prince, dear yet terrible, Come thou to-night!
The green carpet is there for thee,
But dying is thy bride.
Yet, stay awhile,
Dear and awful Cloud-prince! Stay:
Away from the garden, in forlorn sands I ever pray for thee;
And sleep enchained in a castle of thorns;
While around me in slumber lie snake-guards heaving deep:
In a thorned tower I sleep away my charmed days.
Vain are the morning rays for me
While in dreaming sleep pass night and day;
Ketaki, Queen of thorns am I.
The bee steals away my gold,
But to thee my scent-offering I waft
On the cool wings of the evening breeze;
Dreaming ever of when my black Prince-charmer
will come and rend my chains,
And awaken Ketaki with his magic-wand!
Anon, thou hast come beside me, my dark Cloud-prince dear!
For there dies whispering thy poignant tear on my cheek.
O Life and Love!
Dearer than gold shall be these very sands,
If but my Prince would kiss his Ketaki ere she is cold!
Draw close, and closer, my Prince! before I droop,
And thy coolest kiss upon my brow be laid!
Tho' my lips have not the runaway Rose's glow.
Nor the coming Sephali's graceful sweet perfume.
Am I pale?–
But pale have I grown thro’ waiting,
Because my Prince would never come!
My thorns?–
They but sprouted in bitter shame–
My burning tears be they!
My fragrance bitter-sweet thou mayn't scorn,
For, in severest pain was it fraught!
Ever and ever in forlorn dreary sands I await,
And dwell in fear that he might never come,
My cruel, beloved Cloud-prince.
In distant death tower in dumb lament pine I,
Ketaki, Queen of thorns!
And slumbering serpents guard me round!

A free translation from BENGALI by PULIN BEHARI SEN