Canto 39World’s delight

Book 2. Part Two - Baroda Circa 1898 – 1902

World’s delight, spring’s sweetness, music’s charm

Lie within my arm.

Earth that is and heaven to come are here with me

Mastered on my knee.

5Open thy red petals, shrinking rose,

And thy heart disclose.

Pant thy fragrance up to me, O my delight,

All the perfumed night.

Thou possessed and I possessing, earth

10Opened for our mirth.

Flowers dropping on us from delighted trees,

Revels of the breeze,

All for me because I hold their Circe white,

Queen of their delight.

15Wanton, thou shalt know at last a chain

Golden to restrain.

Not a minute of thee shall escape my kiss,

Captive made to bliss,

Not a wandering breath but love shall seize

20With his ecstasies,

All thy body be a glorious happy lyre

Played on by desire

And thy soul shall be my absolute kingdom still

To misrule at will.

25Wast thou hoping to escape at last?

Nay, I held thee fast.

Thou shalt know what love is, all his bliss and pain,

Fondling and disdain.

Jealousy and joy shall seize on thee by turns

30Till thy whole heart burns.

I will learn now all that is to know

In this golden show.

I will gather all there are of sweets to take

In this scented brake.

35All thy soul’s reserves of honied shame

Short Poems

Seized as by a flame

Shall be mine and falter naked to the light

And discovered quite.

40I will burn thee up as with a fire

Of unquenched desire.

I will ravage like a conqueror all thy soul

And annex the whole.

To escape from joys too fierce that burn

45Thou in vain shalt turn.

Puissant Fate shall rescue not thy soul from mine

Nor decree divine

Nor shall Death release thy hunted heart from fear;

I shall still be near.