Have you ever looked at the sun when the sun’s still to come?
Or heard the rolling waves of sea that’s still afar?
Yearning for the blossom, have you seen the tender
Unfolding of virgin leaves when the fall was still astir?
Have you smelled the air sweet before she came,
Seen the halo when the door wasn’t ajar?
O I have, they say yearning does things great-
I touched my cheeks pale and felt the kisses sweet,
I hugged the air, which held her once-
And I did them again on my retreat.

She, while sun kept company, was before my eyes,
When the moon shone she was in my sighs,
In summer bright, O, she set my heart afire,
Burning still was I in winter, with a sole desire.
From far I looked when she stood so near,
I never came close, O there was the fear.
The thirst was long and great, and where was water?
So long was I deprived I forgot what was water.
Did it ever rain? O yes, I cried.
But still I lived with a throat parched. And then I died.

Did you ever see how beautiful in the silver pond she looked?
And did you ever try to grasp what seemed so near?
And did then you see your happy dream disappear?
Oh no, break, break in your despair sheer.
Did I ever dare to hold what I thought I could reach?
No. A barrier invisible but stood in between me and her.
And would I have dared had the barrier not been there?
No, my dear.

O, and could I make my heart beat still when she went far?
You see why I died?
-7\1\99,Calcutta-63

COMMENTS :

Keats had said- Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter. However, yearning is possible only when you know that there is a thing to be yearned for. Not all persons are great poets and fortunately imagination is a gift given to all. Yet they prefer to yearn for known things- they may dream of unknown things, but not yearn. This was one such yearning.