Collected Poems - Sri Aurobindo Ashram

188 Baroda, c. 1898 – 1902
Epitaph
Moulded of twilight and the vesper star
Midnight in her with noon made quiet war; —
Moulded twixt life and death, Love came between;
Then the night fell; twilight faded, the star had been.
To the Modern Priam
Of Ilion’s ashes was thy sceptre made;
’Tis meet thou lose it now in Ilion’s fall.
Song
O lady Venus, shine on me,
O rose-crowned goddess from thy seas
Radiant among the Cyclades!
Rose-crowned, puissant like the sea.
And bring thy Graces three,
The swift companions of thy mirthful mind.
Bring thy sweet rogue with thee,
Thy careless archer, beautiful and blind.
A woman’s royal heart
Bid him to wound and bind her who is free;
Bind her for me!
Nor for the sweet bright crimson blood may start
In little rillets from the little heart
Spare her thy sport to be,
Goddess, she spared not me.