Gitanjali 48

The morning sea of silence broke into ripples of bird songs; and theflowers were all merry by the roadside; and the wealth of gold wasscattered through the rift of the clouds while we busily went on ourway and paid no heed.

We sang no glad songs nor played; we went not to the village forbarter; we spoke not a word nor smiled; we lingered not on the way. Wequickened our pace more and more as the time sped by.

The sun rose to the mid sky and doves cooed in the shade. Witheredleaves danced and whirled in the hot air of noon. The shepherd boydrowsed and dreamed in the shadow of the banyan tree, and I laid myselfdown by the water and stretched my tired limbs on the grass.

My companions laughed at me in scorn; they held their heads high andhurried on; they never looked back nor rested; they vanished in thedistant blue haze. They crossed many meadows and hills, and passedthrough strange, far-away countries. All honour to you, heroic host ofthe interminable path! Mockery and reproach pricked me to rise, butfound no response in me. I gave myself up for lost in the depth of aglad humiliation—in the shadow of a dim delight.

The repose of the sun-embroidered green gloom slowly spread over myheart. I forgot for what I had travelled, and I surrendered my mindwithout struggle to the maze of shadows and songs.

At last, when I woke from my slumber and opened my eyes, I saw theestanding by me, flooding my sleep with thy smile. How I had feared thatthe path was long and wearisome, and the struggle to reach thee washard!