Kama

A poem by Sri Aurobindo


Kama

O desolations vast, O seas of space
Unpeopled, realms of an unfertile light,
Grow multitudinous with living forms,
Enamoured of desire! I send My breath
Into the heart of being, and the storm
Of sweet attraction shall break up its calm
With quivering passionate intensity
And silence change to a melodious cry,
And all the world be rose. Out of My heart
Suns shall flame up into the listless void,
And the stars wheel in magic dances round
Weaving the web of mortal life. For I
Am love, am passion; I create the world.
I am the only Brahma. My desire
Takes many forms; I change and wheel and race,
And with Me runs creation. I preserve,
For I am Love. I weary of Myself,
And the world circles back into the Vast.
Delight and laughter walking hand in hand
Go with Me, and I play with grief and pain.
I am the dance of Krishna, I the dance
Of Kalí. Might and majesty are Mine,
And yet I make the heart a child at play,
The soul of things a woman full of bliss.
Hunger and Thirst, arise and make the world!


Delight, go down and give it strength to live!
O Ether, change! O Breath of things, grow full
Of the perpetual whirl! Break out, O Fire,
In seas of magic colour, infinite waves
Of rainbow light! Thou, liquid element,
Be sap, be taste in all created things
To please the senses. Thou, O solid earth,
Enter into all life, support the worlds.
I send forth Joy to lure the hearts of men,
I send forth Law to harmonise and rule.
And when these things are done, when men have learned
My beauty, My desirability, My bliss,
I will conceal Myself from their desire
And make this rule of the eternal chase,
"They who abandon Me, shall to all time
Clasp and possess; they who pursue, shall lose."



Part IV : Calcutta and Chandernagore (1907-1910) > Poems Written in 1910 and Published in 1920-1921   




How to read the color-coded changes below? 1. SABCL version : lines with any changes & specific changes 2. CWSA version : lines with any changes & specific changes

Sri-Aurobindo/books/collected-poems/kama.txt CHANGED
@@ -3,40 +3,40 @@ O desolations vast, O seas of space
3
3
  Unpeopled, realms of an unfertile light,
4
4
  Grow multitudinous with living forms,
5
5
  Enamoured of desire! I send My breath
6
- Into the heart of being and the storm
6
+ Into the heart of being, and the storm
7
7
  Of sweet attraction shall break up its calm
8
- With quivering passionate intensity,
8
+ With quivering passionate intensity
9
9
  And silence change to a melodious cry,
10
- And all the world be rose. Out of my heart
11
- Suns shall flame up into the pitiless void
10
+ And all the world be rose. Out of My heart
11
+ Suns shall flame up into the listless void,
12
12
  And the stars wheel in magic dances round
13
13
  Weaving the web of mortal life. For I
14
- Am love, am passion. I create the world.
14
+ Am love, am passion; I create the world.
15
15
  I am the only Brahma. My desire
16
- Takes many forms; I change and wheel and race
17
- And with me runs creation. I preserve,
18
- For I am love. I weary of myself,
16
+ Takes many forms; I change and wheel and race,
17
+ And with Me runs creation. I preserve,
18
+ For I am Love. I weary of Myself,
19
19
  And the world circles back into the Vast.
20
20
  Delight and laughter walking hand in hand
21
- Go with me, and I play with grief and pain.
21
+ Go with Me, and I play with grief and pain.
22
22
  I am the dance of Krishna, I the dance
23
- Of Kali, Might and Majesty are mine.
24
- And I can make the heart a child at play,
23
+ Of Kalí. Might and majesty are Mine,
24
+ And yet I make the heart a child at play,
25
25
  The soul of things a woman full of bliss.
26
26
  Hunger and Thirst, arise and make the world!
27
27
  Delight, go down and give it strength to live!
28
- O ether, change! O breath of things, grow full
29
- Of the perpetual whirl! Break out, O fire,
28
+ O Ether, change! O Breath of things, grow full
29
+ Of the perpetual whirl! Break out, O Fire,
30
30
  In seas of magic colour, infinite waves
31
- Of rainbow light! Thou liquid element,
31
+ Of rainbow light! Thou, liquid element,
32
32
  Be sap, be taste in all created things
33
33
  To please the senses. Thou, O solid earth,
34
34
  Enter into all life, support the worlds.
35
- I send forth joy to cheer the hearts of men,
36
- I send forth law to harmonise and rule.
35
+ I send forth Joy to lure the hearts of men,
36
+ I send forth Law to harmonise and rule.
37
37
  And when these things are done, when men have learned
38
38
  My beauty, My desirability, My bliss,
39
- I will conceal myself from their desire
39
+ I will conceal Myself from their desire
40
40
  And make this rule of the eternal chase,
41
41
  "They who abandon Me, shall to all time
42
42
  Clasp and possess; they who pursue, shall lose."

NOTES FROM EDITOR

  1. This poem was intended for the second issue of the Karmayogin to be printed from the manuscript described in the above note. A corrupt version was printed in the Standard Bearer on 27March 1921. This version was revised by Sri Aurobindo for inclusion in Collected Poems and Plays in 1942. The present version is based on the original manuscript.