Canto 27World’s delight
Book 2. Part Two - Baroda Circa 1898 – 1902
Baroda, c. 1898–1902
World’s delight
World’s delight, spring’s sweetness, music’s charm
Lie within my arm.
5Earth that is and heaven to come are here with me
Mastered on my knee.
Open thy red petals, shrinking rose,
And thy heart disclose.
Pant thy fragrance up to me, O my delight,
10All the perfumed night.
Thou possessed and I possessing, earth
Opened for our mirth.
Flowers dropping on us from delighted trees,
Revels of the breeze,
15All for me because I hold their Circe white,
Queen of their delight.
Wanton, thou shalt know at last a chain
Golden to restrain.
Not a minute of thee shall escape my kiss,
20Captive made to bliss,
Not a wandering breath but love shall seize
With his ecstasies,
All thy body be a glorious happy lyre
Played on by desire
25And thy soul shall be my absolute kingdom still
To misrule at will.
Wast thou hoping to escape at last?
Nay, I held thee fast.
Thou shalt know what love is, all his bliss and pain,
30Fondling and disdain.
Jealousy and joy shall seize on thee by turns
Till thy whole heart burns.
I will learn now all that is to know
In this golden show.
35I will gather all there are of sweets to take
In this scented brake.
All thy soul’s reserves of honied shame
Short Poems
Seized as by a flame
40Shall be mine and falter naked to the light
And discovered quite.
I will burn thee up as with a fire
Of unquenched desire.
I will ravage like a conqueror all thy soul
45And annex the whole.
To escape from joys too fierce that burn
Thou in vain shalt turn.
Puissant Fate shall rescue not thy soul from mine
Nor decree divine
50Nor shall Death release thy hunted heart from fear;
I shall still be near.