When Life Becomes Parched

Utpal Chattopadhyay

Original: “Jibana Jakhana Shukaye Jaye” by Rabindranath

Translation:  Utpal Chattopadhyay

 

When life becomes parched and dry

come to me with the flow of your gentle kindness.

When all loveliness vanishes from sight,

come to me in a stream of soothing music.

When duty grows manifold

and envelopes everything in its terrifying roar,

may you, the lord of my life,

appear at the edge of my consciousness with soft and silent steps.

 

When the mind becomes miserly

and languishes in one corner,

open the door, my bountiful lord,

and enter in your regal grandeur.

When desires raise a storm of dust

blinding and entrapping the unwise,

May you appear then, my vigilant lord,

in your purest form, bathed in the magnificent light

of your awesome splendour.