Discoveries of Science

A poem by Sri Aurobindo

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 sonnet  Circa 1934-35  Published posthumously  Different versions

Discoveries of Science - I

Only by electric hordes your world is run?
     But they are motes and spark-whirls of a Light,
A Fire of which your nebula and your sun
     Are glints and flame-drops scattered eremite.

Veiled by the unseen Light act other Powers,
     An Air of endless movement unbegun
Expanding and contracting in Time-hours,
     And the intangible ether of the One.

These surface findings—screen-phenomenon—
     Are Nature's offered reasons but behind
Her occult mysteries lurk safe unknown
     To the crude handling of the empiric Mind.

All yet discovered are but mire and trace
Of the eternal Energy in her race.

 sonnet  Circa 1934-35  Published posthumously  Different versions

Discoveries of Science

I saw the electric stream on which is run
    The world turned motes and spark-whirls of a Light,
A Fire of which the nebula and sun
    Are glints and flame-drops, scattered, eremite;

And veiled by viewless Light worked other Powers,
    An Air of movement endless, unbegun,
Expanding and contracting in Time's hours
    And the intangible ether of the One.

The surface finds, the screen-phenomenon,
    Are Nature's offered ransom, while behind
Her occult mysteries lie safe, unknown,
    From the crude handling of the empiric Mind.

Our truths discovered are but dust and trace
Of the eternal Energy in her race.



Part VII : Pondicherry (Circa 1927-1947) > Sonnets from Manuscripts (Circa 1934-1947)   



How to read the color-coded changes below? 1. SABCL version : lines with any changes & specific changes 2. CWSA version : lines with any changes & specific changes

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  1. Sri-Aurobindo/books/collected-poems/discoveries-of-science.txt +13 -13
Sri-Aurobindo/books/collected-poems/discoveries-of-science.txt CHANGED
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
1
- Discoveries of Science - I
2
- Only by electric hordes your world is run?
3
- But they are motes and spark-whirls of a Light,
4
- A Fire of which your nebula and your sun
5
- Are glints and flame-drops scattered eremite.
6
- Veiled by the unseen Light act other Powers,
7
- An Air of endless movement unbegun
8
- Expanding and contracting in Time-hours,
1
+ Discoveries of Science
2
+ I saw the electric stream on which is run
3
+ The world turned motes and spark-whirls of a Light,
4
+ A Fire of which the nebula and sun
5
+ Are glints and flame-drops, scattered, eremite;
6
+ And veiled by viewless Light worked other Powers,
7
+ An Air of movement endless, unbegun,
8
+ Expanding and contracting in Time's hours
9
9
  And the intangible ether of the One.
10
- These surface findings—screen-phenomenon—
11
- Are Nature's offered reasons but behind
12
- Her occult mysteries lurk safe unknown
13
- To the crude handling of the empiric Mind.
14
- All yet discovered are but mire and trace
10
+ The surface finds, the screen-phenomenon,
11
+ Are Nature's offered ransom, while behind
12
+ Her occult mysteries lie safe, unknown,
13
+ From the crude handling of the empiric Mind.
14
+ Our truths discovered are but dust and trace
15
15
  Of the eternal Energy in her race.

NOTES FROM EDITOR

Circa 1934-35. Three handwritten manuscripts.





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 sonnet  Published posthumously  Different versions  SABCL & CWSA  Only CWSA