Today's Beautiful Gem: "Come to me, My Love!" by Krishnaananda.

           The great bard William Shakespeare, in his play "A Midsummer Night's
Dream", equates the mental states of the lover, the lunatic and the poet. The
similar trait they possess is that they are all highly imaginative. Add to
this list of individuals, the devotee. Then only the picture becomes
complete. As I learnt in my school days, what the sun does not illumine,
the poet perceives! The lover always sees the best in his beloved. The
devotee too at times personifies the God as the Beloved. When this happens,
the distinction between the lover and the devotee is lost. We are at a loss
to determine whether the song is a love lyric or a devotional! The Sufis
revelled and excelled in this type of poetry. I have given several examples
of this genre of poetry in the past and I would continue to do so in the
future. Today, I will give an example from a song composed by a friend of
mine, Krishnaananda. The original is in Telugu. However, I am giving a free
transcreation in English.

"If my heart were to become a temple,
     thou art the idol in its sanctum sancorum;
If my heart were to become the shoreless sky,
     thou art the pole star illuminating it;
If my heart were to become the Manasa lake,
     thou art the celestial swan swimming on its waters;
If my heart were to become a fathomless ocean,
     thou art the priceless pearls in its depths;
If my heart were to become a beautiful blossom,
     thou art the humming bee hovering near it;
If my heart were to become a lamp eternal,
     thou art the ethereal light it radiates;
If my heart were to become a world of dreams,
     thou art its great Creator and Sustainer;
If my heart were to become a rainbow spanning the skies,
     thou art its seven spectral colours;
With all my heart, I love you!
     I wait for you at my door-step,
Come to me, My Love, and accept me as I am;
     If you don't, my heart will break!"

Om shaantih: Peace! - J. K. Mohana Rao

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