The Gardener 33
I love you, beloved. Forgive me my love.Like a bird losing its way I am caught.When my heart was shaken it lost its veil and was naked. Cover itwith pity, beloved, and forgive me my love.
If you cannot love me, beloved, forgive me my pain.Do not look askance at me from afar.I will steal back to my corner and sit in the dark.With both hands I will cover my naked shame.Turn your face from me, beloved, and forgive me my pain.
If you love me, beloved, forgive me my joy.When my heart is borne away by the flood of happiness, do notsmile at my perilous abandonment.When I sit on my throne and rule you with my tyranny of love, whenlike a goddess I grant you my favour, bear with my pride, beloved,and forgive me my joy.
Words in this poem
- askance adv.
- Sideways; obliquely; with a side glance; with disdain, envy, or suspicion. [Cf. D. schuin, schuins, sideways, schuiven to shove, schuinte slope. Cf. Asquint.]
- afar adv.
- At, to, or from a great distance; far away; -- often used with from preceding, or off following; as, he was seen from afar; I saw him afar off. [Pref. a-.(for on or of) + far.]
- favour n.
- Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will. [Written also favour.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
The Gardener 33 is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Gardener, translated by the author from the original Bengali (Macmillan, London and New York, 1913; this text the 1915 printing), Project Gutenberg ebook #6686; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Rabindranath Tagore, The Gardener 33, in The Gardener (1913), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #6686, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/tagore-gardener/poem-33.html, id L27669.
About this section
The Gardener 33 is prose, printed in 3 paragraphs. It is part of the edition and is kept for reading, but nothing here is measured: the line breaks are the printer's, so no metre, rhyme scheme or scansion is stated.
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