Savitri Book 4 Canto 1 - The Birth and Childhood of the Flame
Across the burning languor of the soil Paced Summer with his pomp of violent noons And stamped his tyranny of torrid light And the blue seal of a great burnished sky. ||93.6||
Rain-tide burst in upon torn wings of heat, Startled with lightnings air’s unquiet drowse, Lashed with life-giving streams the torpid soil, Overcast with flare and sound and storm-winged dark The star-defended doors of heaven’s dim sleep, Or from the gold eye of her paramour Covered with packed cloud-veils the earth’s brown face. ||93.7||
Earth’s mood now changed; she lay in lulled repose, The hours went by with slow contented tread: A wide and tranquil air remembered peace, Earth was the comrade of a happy sun. ||93.17|| Three thoughtful seasons passed with shining tread And scanning one by one the pregnant hours Watched for a flame that lurked in luminous depths, A vigil of some mighty birth to come. ||93.21||
Autumn led in the glory of her moons And dreamed in the splendour of her lotus pools ||93.22||
And Winter and Dew-time laid their calm cool hands On Nature’s bosom still in a half sleep And deepened with hues of lax and mellow ease The tranquil beauty of the waning year. ||93.22||
Then Spring, an ardent lover, leaped through leaves And caught the earth-bride in his eager clasp; His advent was a fire of irised hues, His arms were a circle of the arrival of joy. ||93.23||
In this high signal moment of the gods Answering earth’s yearning and her cry for bliss, A greatness from our other countries came. ||94.1|| Translating heaven into a human shape ||94.3|| A spirit of its celestial source aware Descended into earth’s imperfect mould And wept not fallen to mortality, But looked on all with large and tranquil eyes. ||94.4||
Outlined by the pressure of this new descent A lovelier body formed than earth had known. ||94.13|| As yet a prophecy only and a hint, The glowing arc of a charmed unseen whole, It came into the sky of mortal life Bright like the crescent horn of a gold moon Returning in a faint illumined eve. ||94.14||
But soon the link of soul with form grew sure; Flooded was the dim cave with slow conscient light, The seed grew into a delicate marvellous bud, The bud disclosed a great and heavenly bloom. ||94.17|| At once she seemed to found a mightier race.||94.18|| Her nature dwelt in a strong separate air Like a strange bird with large rich-coloured breast That sojourns on a secret fruited bough Lost in the emerald glory of the woods Or flies above divine unreachable tops. ||94.21||
An image made of heaven’s transparent light. ||94.49|| Its charm recalled things seen in vision’s hours, A golden bridge spanning a faery flood, A moon-touched palm-tree single by a lake Companion of the wide and glimmering peace, A murmur as of leaves in the Paradise Moving when feet of the Immortals pass, A fiery halo over sleeping hills, A strange and starry head alone in Night. ||94.50||
Home
The Mother
Meditations On Savitri
Share your feedback. Help us improve. Or ask a question.