I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times, 
In life after life, in age after age forever. 
My spell-bound heart has made and remade the necklace of songs 
That you take as a gift, wear round your neck in your many forms 
In life after life, in age after age forever. 

Whenever I hear old chronicles of love, its age-old pain, 
Its ancient tale of being apart or together, 
As I stare on and on into the past, in the end you emerge 
Clad in the light of a pole-star piercing the darkness of time: 
You become an image of what is remembered forever. 

You and I have floated here on the stream that brings from the fount 
At the heart of time love of one for another. 
We have played alongside millions of lovers, shared in the same 
Shy sweetness of meeting, the same distressful tears of farewell - 
Old love, but in shapes that renew and renew forever. 

Today it is heaped at your feet, it has found its end in you, 
The love of all man's days both past and forever: 
Universal joy, universal sorrow, universal life, 
The memories of all loves merging with this one love of ours - 
And the songs of everypoet both past and forever. 



Purity 

    

Life of my life, I shall ever try to keep my body pure, knowing 
that thy living touch is upon all my limbs. 
I shall ever try to keep all untruths out from my thoughts, knowing 
that thou art that truth which has kindled the light of reason in my mind. 

I shall ever try to drive all evils away from my heart and keep my 
love in flower, knowing that thou hast thy seat in the inmost shrine of my heart. 
And it shall be my endeavour to reveal thee in my actions, knowing it 
is thy power gives me strength to act. 

Who is This? 
I came out alone on my way to my tryst. 
But who is this that follows me in the silent dark? 
I move aside to avoid his presence but I escape him not. 

He makes the dust rise from the earth with his swagger; 
he adds his loud voice to every word that I utter. 
He is my own little self, my lord, he knows no shame; 
but I am ashamed to come to thy door in his company. 

Little of Me 
Let only that little be left of me 
whereby I may name thee my all. 

Let only that little be left of my will 
whereby I may feel thee on every side, 
and come to thee in everything, 
and offer to thee my love every moment. 

Let only that little be left of me 
whereby I may never hide thee. 
Let only that little of my fetters be left 
whereby I am bound with thy will, 
and thy purpose is carried out in my life
---and that is the fetter of thy love

Innermost One 

    

He it is, the innermost one, 
who awakens my being with his deep hidden touches. 

He it is who puts his enchantment upon these eyes 
and joyfully plays on the chords of my heart 
in varied cadence of pleasure and pain. 

He it is who weaves the web of this maya 
in evanescent hues of gold and silver, blue and green, 
and lets peep out through the folds his feet, 
at whose touch I forget myself. 

Days come and ages pass, 
and it is ever he who moves my heart in many a name, 
in many a guise, in many a rapture of joy and of sorrow. 



Back to Index