A translation from Tagore's Krishnokoli
By Bina Biswas
Hyderabad, India
The black bud, I call her, though
In the village, the folks call her dark.
On a cloud laden day, I saw her in the fields
The dark girl with her dark gazelle-eyes
The head was bare and her loosened
tresses fell over her back.
Dark? However dark she be,
Her dark gazelle- eyes I have seen
Seeing darkling cloud- laden sky,
Two dusky cows lowed,
The dark girl dashed out in a rush
hearing them, out of her hut.
To the sky she lifted her eyebrows
Heard the growl of the clouds…
Dark? However dark she be,
Her dark gazelle- eyes I have seen
The eastern wind raged on a sudden
In the paddy field it rippled a squall
Standing by the ridge, I, was alone
Whether she turned her eyes or not, on me
Only she knows and I
Dark? However dark she be,
Her dark gazelle- eyes I have seen
This is how the darkening clouds build up
In the summer months in the north-east
This way the dark supple shadow drops
On the thicket in the rainy months
This way in the nights of August
Sudden mirth surfaces in the heart.
Dark? However dark she be,
Her dark gazelle- eyes I have seen
I call her the black bud, though
in the village, the folks call her dark.
There in the Mayanapara fields I saw
The dark girl’s dark gazelle-eyes.
The head was bare and her
loosened tresses fell over her back
she had no time to feel bashful
Dark? However dark she be,
Her dark gazelle- eyes I have seen
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