Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/177

 ILI. ] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. — 147 “Tf the seeds have been destroyed by the sum- mer sun, what will it avail that there be showers afterwards ! “ Dying of thirst I came to the ocean. Alas! not a drop had I to quench my thirst ! “Weary, I came to the sandal tree, but the sweet scent ceased. “T came for soothing to the light of the moon, and it began to scorch me with fire. “The month of Cravana with its raining floods had not a drop for me. ‘The Kalpataru* is barren for me. ‘O Krisna, O Lord of my soul! I sought refuge in thee, but found it not. “ The poet Vidyapati is silent from wonder.” Though Radha speaks in the language of des- pair, she is nevertheless conscious of the all-per- vading mercy of God. The images here are all similes for Krishna himself. He is the ocean, the sandal-tree, the moon-light &c. | The mourner is about to die of her longing for the return of Krisna. Here are a few beautiful familiar lines :— TT shall surely die, says Radha, but to whom can I trust my Krisna ? + “ মবিব মরিব সখি, নিচয় মরিব, কানু হেন গুণনিধি কারে দিয়ে যাঝ। তোমরা যতেক সখী আছ মঝু সঙ্গে। মরণ-কালে রুষ্ণ নাম লিখ আমার ছে ॥ The touching appeal, when death seems near
 * The Tree of Plenty in Indra’s Heaven. }