54 Art INTRODUCTION. to thee. But to me there is none but thee, just as the sun has many a lily, but the lilies only one sun. There was a time when thou wouldst miss me if for a moment I were not by thee, and how couldst thou permit this long separation? But we have met now. No vain regret for the past. I will not speak of thy indifference. Place thy lotus-feet on my breast, and stay here, if only for a little while. Though my heart burns with the fever of long separation, it will be made cool by a touch of thy lotus-feet. Receiving no reply. thou angry with me 2 Dost thou still remember that occasion on which I caused thee pain by my silence when thou didst even touch my feet and say, ‘Relent, my dearest Rādhā, and have mercy on me? Here fall I prostrate at thy feet. The cloud passes away. O my maids, he is gone. He has slighted my entreaties and gone away. Why should I live any longer in this world 2 Oh! had I the wings of a bird I would follow him Stay!—stay, if only for a moment. Go not thus away. Does he whose protection is sought kill her who seeks it—thus * If thou hast no liking for us, beloved, go away. But bear with me for a moment. We know yet where love is not, tears cannot engender it. If I die now–what matters? I say–let me die, as my ill-hap will have it. Where was it ever heard that an unwilling one was detained by entreaties: Thou wilt surely go. Only wait till thou hearest a word that I would say. I die; that matters not. Yet, alack 1 that our love will be stained People will say the milk-maid died because she loved Krisna. One word more. Our mutual feelings were sincere. They are no longer so, because thou art indifferent. Pity it is that none will henceforth value aright this love which is pure gold. They will all condemn it. My last appeal to thee is this: when thou didst go to Mathurā, thou promisedest to return quickly. My life has so long hung on that thread of promise. Only say now that what thou toldest was not true, so that the thread may break and I
