The Eclipse
purpose. This is the belief of the multitude; but the Brahmins know full welt how eclipses are caused, and they can calculate them with the precision of the best European astronomers.
By all the mighty powers above,
O! leave me not to-night, my love!
Let others in the sacred wave
Their sinful bodies seek to lave;
But leave me not; for sure thou art
Of spotless hand, and guileless heart —
There cannot be, my girl divine!
A sin upon that soul of thine
Let others pray that night's bright gem
May not be lost to heaven, and them,
But what's the sickly moon to thee.
And all her cold inconstancy?
Let other maids whose nightly dreams
Of love are brought by Chandra's beams.
Implore the powers of Heaven to spare
That Chandra to their pious prayer.
But thou, whose dreams are ever bright.
Awake, asleep, by day, by night,
O! why shouldst thou, my gentle girl.
My lotus flower! my precious pearl!
To-night implore the gods above? —
I pray thee, leave me not, my love!
Ah! go not forth; for shouldst thou go
Afresh will bleed my wounds of woe.
Encircled by the wave thou'lt be
While Chandra wakens fears in thee;
Bui ah ! mine eye will swim in tears.
And thou, oh ! thou wilt wake my fears
My life, my love, my spirit's, light,
I pray thee, leave me not to-night; —
For when thy angel form is gone.
And my poor hearts is left alone.
Although the moon be riding high.
Although the stars illume the sky.
Dark to my soul the world will be.
And heaven, and earth eclipsed to me!
Nay, go not forth — for shouldst thou go
Her face the moon will shrink to show,
Her meaner light will never dare
To send one rav while thou art there.
And every envious star will fall
As thy bright eyes outshine them all —
And when the monster armed with power
Shall come alas! in luckless hour
His prize, his valued prize to gain.
He'll seek his Chandra there in vain—
Thy angel face my love! he'll see,
(For there who will not gaze on thee?)
And deeming thee a moon more bright
Than that which reigns supreme by night,
Thee, thee he'll seize ; and dark to me
Thenceforth this dreary world will be!
Nor can I hope that prayers may fly
Up to the holy throne on high ,
For though creation prostrate prayed
It would not save my beauteous maid
And when from me thou shall be riven
They'll make thee queen of earth, and heaven.
For ne'er may all in heaven and earth
To aught like thee again give birth. —
Then if to thee my peace is dear
For once my supplication hear;
I pray thee, by the gods above
O! leave me not to-night, my Love!