Love Songs of Vidyāpati

W.G. Archer

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000216493
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Linguistics
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Originally published in 1963, The Love Songs of Vidy?pati explores one hundred poems by the poet Vidy?pati.

The book opens with an extensive introduction providing an overview into the life of Vidy?pati and offering a wealth of information relating to the themes, development, and significance of his poetry. The poems are accompanied by detailed notes and enhanced further by a selection of illustrations.

The Love Songs of Vidy?pati will appeal to anyone with an interest in poetry, literary history, and Indian cultural history.

1
SIGNS OF YOUTH

Rādhā’s glances dart from side to side.

Her restless body and clothes are heavy with dust.

Her glistening smile shines again and again.

Shy, she raises her skirt to her lips.

Startled, she stirs and once again is calm,

As now she enters the ways of love.

Sometimes she gazes at her blossoming breasts

Hiding them quickly, then forgetting they are there.

Childhood and girlhood melt in one

And new and old are both forgotten.

Says Vidyāpati: O Lord of life,

Do you not know the signs of youth?

‘Heavy with dust.’ Rādhā has felt so restless that she has not cared where she went or sat. Because of this her body and clothes have become dirty with dust.

2
TANGLED TRESSES

Each day the breasts of Rādhā swelled.

Her hips grew shapely, her waist more slender.

Love’s secrets stole upon her eyes.

Startled, her childhood sought escape.

Her plum-like breasts grew large,

Harder and crisper, aching for love.

Krishna soon saw her as she bathed,

Her filmy dress still clinging to her breasts,

Her tangled tresses falling on her heart,

A golden image swathed in yak’s tail plumes.

Says Vidyāpati: O wonder of women,

Only a handsome man can long for her.

‘Yak’s tail plumes’ are Rādhā’s hair, the ‘golden image’ her glowing skin.

On yaks, Pandit comments, ‘Chamara is the bushy tail of the Tibetan animal, the yak, Bos grunniens, which is itself known as chamari. The tail is used as a fly-whisk. The yak is a splendid beast with short legs, low quarters, warmly clad in long hair, and furnished with a bushy tail which serves him as a wind-screen, the herd always feeding with its hind-quarters to the wind. The yak will carry anything that a horse can, climb almost everywhere that a goat can and can cross a river with the ease of a hippopotamus. He is to the high altitude nomad what the camel is to the Arab of the low-lying desert. The huge white tail of the yak together with the white parasol have formed the insignia of royalty from ancient times. The Hindi chauri, for a fly-whisk, is derived from chamara.’

The tail with its long silky hairs was used for gently stirring the air or lightly dusting an idol or image.

3
FIRST RAPTURE

There was a shudder in her whispering voice.

She was shy to frame her words.

What has happened tonight to lovely Rādhā?

Now she consents, now she is afraid.

When asked for love, she closes up her eyes,

Eager to reach the ocean of desire.

He begs her for a kiss.

She turns her mouth away

And then, like a night lily, the moon seized her.

She felt his touch startling her girdle.

She knew her love treasure was being robbed.

With her dress she covered up her breasts.

The treasure was left uncovered.

Vidyāpati wonders at the neglected bed.

Lovers are busy in each other’s arms.

‘The moon seized her’ On a...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Original Title Page
• Original Copyright Page
• Translator’s Note
• Contents
• Illustrations
• Introduction
• Love Songs of Vidyāpati
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index