To the God of Pain, by Sarojini Naidu
July 15th 2007 01:33
To the God of Pain
Unwilling priestess in thy cruel fane,
Long hast thou held me, pitiless god of Pain
Bound to thy worship by reluctant vows
My tired breast girt with suffering, and my brows
Anointed with perpetual weariness
Long have I borne thy service, through the stress
Of righteous years, sad days and slumberless nights
Performing thine inexorable rites.
For thy dark altars, balm nor milk nor rice,
But mine own soul thou’st ta’en for sacrifice;
All the rich honey of my youth’s desire,
And all the sweet oils from my crushed life drawn,
And all my flower-like dreams and gem-like fire
Of hopes up-leaping like the light of dawn.
I have no more to give, all that was mine
Is laid, a wrested tribute, at thy shrine;
Let me depart, for my whole soul is wrung,
And all my cheerless orisons are sung;
Let me depart, with faint limbs let me creep
To some dim shade and sink me down to sleep.
~Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu at Wikipedia
Unwilling priestess in thy cruel fane,
Long hast thou held me, pitiless god of Pain
Bound to thy worship by reluctant vows
My tired breast girt with suffering, and my brows
Anointed with perpetual weariness
Long have I borne thy service, through the stress
Of righteous years, sad days and slumberless nights
Performing thine inexorable rites.
For thy dark altars, balm nor milk nor rice,
But mine own soul thou’st ta’en for sacrifice;
All the rich honey of my youth’s desire,
And all the sweet oils from my crushed life drawn,
And all my flower-like dreams and gem-like fire
Of hopes up-leaping like the light of dawn.
I have no more to give, all that was mine
Is laid, a wrested tribute, at thy shrine;
Let me depart, for my whole soul is wrung,
And all my cheerless orisons are sung;
Let me depart, with faint limbs let me creep
To some dim shade and sink me down to sleep.
~Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu at Wikipedia
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Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Tracy
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
oh I love this! You can just feel the spent emotions... see the pleading eyes... feel the warm tears...
an excellent find... thanks for sharing. It`s great to know that our hearts beat to the same rhythm of thousands of others...
hugs
ash
Comment by Lily
Ars Poetica
~Lily
Comment by Lily
Ars Poetica
warm tears sticks in my head, even a cold heart cries warm tears...
i have befriended this poem. to write like this woman did? a dream..
~Lily
Comment by Grace
"I have no more to give, all that was mine
Is laid, a wrested tribute, at thy shrine;"
Comment by Lily
Ars Poetica
i like those lines too.. ve' nice to see you here..
~Lily
Comment by The Hatter
Caffeine Madness
Comment by Lily
Ars Poetica
cheers w/ instant coffee (i know i know, i hope to be more educated on coffee at your blog)
~Lily
Comment by Grace