TRANSLATIONS

 

SRI AUROBINDO

 

Contents 

 

 

I. FROM SANSKRIT

   

 

 

 

BHAGAVAD GITA

 
 

Chapter One

 
 

Chapter Two

 
 

Chapter Three

 
 

Chapter Four

 
 

Chapter Five

 
 

Chapter Six

 

 

 

KALIDASA

 
 

The Birth of the War-God

 Canto One:

 
 

The Birth of the War-God, Canto Two

 
 

Malavica and the King

 
 

The Line of Raghu

 

 

 

 

Sankaracharya

 
 

Bhavani

 

 

 

 

III FROM TAMIL

 

 IV. FROM GREEK AND LATIN

 
 

The Kural

 

Odyssey

 
 

Nammalwar’s Hymn of the Golden Age

 

On A Satyr and Seeping Love

 
 

Love-Mad

 

A Rose of Women

 
 

Refuge

 

To Lesbia

 
 

To the Cuckoo

     
 

I Dreamed a Dream

     
 

Ye Others

     

 

 

 

ON FIRMNESS

 

Gods

 

Cease never from the work thou hast begun

        Till thou accomplish. Such the great Gods be,

Nor paused for gems unknown beneath the Sun,

         Nor feared for the huge poisons of the sea,

Then only ceased when nectar’s self was won.

 

The Man of High Action

 

Happiness is nothing, sorrow nothing. He

        Recks not of these whom his clear thoughts impel

To action, whether little and miserably

        He fare on roots or softly dine and well,

Whether bare ground receive his sleep or bed

With smoothest pillows ease his pensive head,

        Whether in rags or heavenly robes he dwell.

 

Ornaments

 

What is an ornament? Courtesy in high place,

       Speech temperate in the hero, innocence

In high philosophers, and wrathlessness »

        In hermits, and in riches noble expense.

Sincerity and honest meaning plain

        Save outward holiness, mercy the strong

Adorns and modesty most learned men;

         One grace to every station can belong.

Cause of all other gems, of all is blent

Virtue, the universal ornament.

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The Immutable Courage

 

If men praise thee, 0 man, ‘tis well; nor ill,

         If they condemn. Let fortune curst or boon

Enter thy doors or leave them as she will;

         Though death expect thee ere yon sinking moon

Vanish or wait till unborn stars give light,

         The firm high soul remains immutable

Nor by one step will deviate from the right.

 

The Ball

 

Lo, as a ball that, by the player’s palm

Smit downward, falls but to again rebound,

So the high virtuous man hurled to the ground

Bends not to fortune long his spirit calm.

 

Work and Idleness

 

Their bitterest enemy in their bodies pent

          Men cherish, idleness. Be in thy breast

          The tireless gust of work thy mighty guest,

Man’s ceaseless helper, whose great aid once lent

Thy strength shall fail not, nor thy head be bent.

 

The Self-Reliance of the Wise

 

The tree once pruned shall seek again the skies,

         The moon in heaven waning wax once more:

Wise men grieve not nor vex their soul with sighs

          Though the world tread them down with savage roar;

Knowing their strength, they husband it to rise. 

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