Collected Poems - Sri Aurobindo Ashram

526 Pondicherry, c. 1910 – 1920
Heaven’s sapphire longing for earth’s green unease,
The summit self-uplifted to the sky
With undecipherable charactery
Of woods half-outlined in a passionate haze.
Bright violently as if to force his gaze
Broke from the blue-stoled secrecy of the hill
Such radiance as when softly visible
Breaks stealing from a purple-covered breast
A lovely glint of whiteness. Now, increased,
Like a snow-feathered arrow-head it flew
Splintering the sapphire with its silvery hue.
But before long there gleamed a flame-bright flock
Flying like one and breasting with its shock
Of faery speed the widenesses of noon.
So rapidly the wonder travelled, soon
He saw distinct the feathers proud and fine
Not only with a splendour argentine,
But shaken from the wings was shed a hail
Of gold that left the sunbeam’s glory pale.
They flew not like the snowy cranes, a wreath
Of flowers driven in the rainwind’s breath,
But ranked in lovely lines magnificent came
Filling the eyes with silver and with flame.
They over Nala’s garden flying round
Whirring descended with a far-heard sound,
A gentle thunder falling sweetly slack
As line by line they filled the slumbering lake.
A hundred wonderful shapes in mystic crowd
Covered the water like a living cloud.
Next on the stream they spread their glorious bosoms
And preening over the waves like curving blossoms
Their long and delicate necks came floating on.