Poems from Bhartrihari’s Shatakatraya
Sex has fled the field
Abandoned with my youthful pride.
My friends, once dear to me,
Have quickly spent their lives.
I totter on my cane,
cataracts cloud my eyes.
Why does this foolish body still
tremble at the thought of death?
Why waste your time with words
devoid of sense or reason?
For here on earth two paths alone
are worth your choosing.
To stir in youth the fresh desire
of beautiful young women
swayed by their heavy breasts -
or choose the forest’s solitude.
You may wrest away a jewel
From a crocodile’s sharp jaws,
Cross the turbulent ocean,
Garlanded by a tumult of waves,
Wear an angry snake
Like a flower in your hair -
But you will never please
The obstinate mind of a fool.
The moon eclipsed by pallid day,
A tender woman’s waning youth,
A lake without its lotus bloom,
A handsome face bereft of wit,
A king who cares only for wealth,
A good man who is always in want,
A rogue who haunts the royal court –
Seven spears that pierce my heart.
