The Infinitesimal Infinite

A poem by Sri Aurobindo


The Infinitesimal Infinite

Out of a still Immensity all came!
     These million universes were to it
The poor light-bubbles of a trivial game,
     A fragile glimmer in the Infinite.

It could not find its soul in all that vast:
     It drew itself into a little speck
Infinitesimal, ignobly cast
     Out of earth's mud and slime strangely awake,—

A tiny plasm on a little globe
     In the small system of a dwarflike sun,
A little life wearing the flesh for robe,
     A little mind winged through wide space to run!

It lived, it knew, it saw its self sublime,
Deathless, outmeasuring Space, outlasting Time.

The Infinitesimal Infinite

Out of a still immensity we came.
    These million universes were to it
The poor light-bubbles of a trivial game,
    A fragile glimmer in the Infinite.

It could not find its soul in all that Vast:
    It drew itself into a little speck
Infinitesimal, ignobly cast
    Out of earth's mud and slime strangely awake,—

A tiny plasm upon a casual globe
    In the small system of a dwarflike sun,
A little life wearing the flesh for robe,
    A little mind winged through wide space to run.

It lived, it knew, it saw its self sublime,
Deathless, outmeasuring Space, outlasting Time.



Part VII : Pondicherry (Circa 1927-1947) > Three Sonnets   




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

Sri-Aurobindo/books/collected-poems/the-infinitesimal-infinite.txt CHANGED
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  The Infinitesimal Infinite
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- Out of a still Immensity all came!
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+ Out of a still immensity we came.
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  These million universes were to it
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  The poor light-bubbles of a trivial game,
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  A fragile glimmer in the Infinite.
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- It could not find its soul in all that vast:
6
+ It could not find its soul in all that Vast:
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  It drew itself into a little speck
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  Infinitesimal, ignobly cast
9
9
  Out of earth's mud and slime strangely awake,—
10
- A tiny plasm on a little globe
10
+ A tiny plasm upon a casual globe
11
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  In the small system of a dwarflike sun,
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12
  A little life wearing the flesh for robe,
13
- A little mind winged through wide space to run!
13
+ A little mind winged through wide space to run.
14
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  It lived, it knew, it saw its self sublime,
15
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  Deathless, outmeasuring Space, outlasting Time.

NOTES FROM EDITOR

Circa 1934. Three handwritten and four typed manuscripts precede the Circle publication in 1948.