Khambat-III
(Haven)

I

1

A moolit night, an open plain,
and so for yet to go;
My camel look not back, for you
't is shame to waver so;
Be steady, resolute, and show
my loved-ones you can reach

2

O full moon! though you rise adorned,
your beauty to enhance;
You are not a blink worth of my love
With all charms you advance,
Since your whole being but one glance
of the Beloved is.

3

A hundred suns may rise, and blaze
four score-four moons may shine;
I vow, without Beloved mine
I am in darkest night

4

O moon, by magic fade away;
may you be shorn of light-
Or hide yourself so that I might
the soul's Beloved meet.

5

In darkest midnight, the Beloved
shows himself so clear;
the moon and pleiades disappear
yea, like an echo mere.

II

6

O moon, cast first thy silver-ray
on the Beloved when you rise;
And for thy Maker's sake, O moon
message of helpless one convey;
"My hopeful longing eyes, thy way
with tears are watching everyday."

7

O moon, the moment that you rise
first glance at the Beloved cast
Say to the dear one: I am sick
In you my only comfort lies
"My hopeful and relying eyes
Are ever set expecting you"

8

O moon, when you ascend the skies
first glance at the Beloved cast
My message to the friend convey
Correctly all, and all precise
"M y hopeful and relying eyes
are ever set expecting thee"

9

Rise moon, see the Beloved-thou
art near and far am I
Presence of Him in scented dews
I feel, that in night doth lie-
On foot I cannot reach and
father gives camel can't supply
On which riding, ere dawn draws nigh
I easily could reach.

10

I shall die longing, love is kind
but Oh...so far is He
Father gives camel not to me-
I am too weak to walk.

11

To the Beloved, when you rise
O moon, thy very first glance send;
And all the message I give
O moon, convey in truthful wise;
"My hopeful and relying eyes
are ever set expecting you."

12

Thy glance let the Beloved meet,
O moon, and my requests submit
Befittingly; above courtyard
of the Beloved bow and greet;
Speak gently...on Beloved's feet
both of thy light-hands softly lay.

13

O moon, all my entreaties safe
into thy shining garment tie,
Low'ring your head, to loved one tell
in what a wretched state am I;
Remember; to the place you hie
That is whole universe's Hope.

III

14

O camel! spurn thy slothful mood-
No longer now delay!
But once unite me with my love
no more the truant play,
But speed, ere night doth pass away
to meet my love after.

15

I must go where my love resides;
to the Beloved speed!
There I shall give thee sandal-wood
and thou shalt no more feed
On salt-bush coarse, unfit for thee
or any worthless weed;
O hasten! there is urgent need
to reach while night doth last.

16

Arise and take a forward step-
be not an idler base;
The highway to my love is straight
and hath no winding ways...
Self-pity drop...a gallop raise
to bring us swift and soon.

17

Remember your ancestry, and
your forebear's noble breed;
Your stock is well-known near and far
and you do hold indeed;
Rare pedigree-and so we plead
show us some kindness now.

18

I bound him near some glorious tree
that he some buds might eat;
Ill-mannered camel, on the sly
still finds the salt-bush sweet.
Woe's me-I know not how to treat
Camel that so confounds.

19

I tried to saddle him, but e'en
unsaddled he'd not rise-
The way the herd is gone, he lies
and only gapes that side.

20

My camel, I will give thee reins
of gold, and trappings fine;
Not only buds of sandal wood
but thou on myrth shalt dine;
If to the one Beloved mine
thou wilt bring me this night.

21

The camel did forget the herd,
nor e'en will salt-bush eat...
His blown-up hump has now become
his pampered passion's seat-
Alas, this callous, new conceit
he'll not drop unto death.

22

He goes not with the herd of late
and no more will he graze;
Since Cupid's arrow wounded him
he hugs a curious craze;
To his new love, with love-sick gaze
he crawls, defying death.

23

Now sits with herd, musk-branches eats;
yet calm remains his face
Ah me, apparently my camel
shows no outward trace.
'Here' he is with the world, but graze
with heart doth fondly 'there'.

24

He's not what he was yesterday
returning to the yard;
He never at the manager looks-
all food doth disregard;
Seems, poison creepers on the sward
he ate when with the herd.

25

With zest thee camel browses now
on creepers such as made him yearn;
But owners, keepers of the field,
with shouts his sweet indulgence spurn
The poor intruder, powerless
he grows from voices harsh and stern;
No answer finds he in return
and all his arduous madness flies.

26

Good animal, what you did put
your teeth in, finding them so sweet;
These baneful creepers if you eat
will bring you yet to grief and woe.

IV

27

Torrents of rain and wind-camel
there obstinate he lies-
How shall I saddle him when rise
unsaddled he will not.

28

A solid braided rope construct,
with this your camel blind,
The frgrant creepers everywhere
all over grounds you'll find,
Once tasted, he will leave behind
all else, if he's not tied.

29

I fettered him with rope and chain,
but shackles were in vain;
He broke them all, and dragged them on
where creepers decked the plain-
O God, put sence and understanding
in this camel's brain
With mercy free him from this pain
to rise above this curse.

30

O rise, and to thy haven far
thy earthbound glances bear,
May be a happy welcome there
awaits thee from thy love.

31

No-go and schackle him, he will
run wild if left alone;
By temting him to cat, he'll play
more pranks, but won't alone;
Load him and let him graze and groan
with heavy fetters bound.

32

Who laid a spell on you? and who
waylaid you, wished you ill?
Blinkers you wear-your soles rubbed off-
your kind not meet you will;
And round and round, as in a mill
you circumambulate.

33

My comely camel, won't you eat
the sandal wood and drink your fill
Of cleanest purest water, food
the finest you refuse it still-
What law gave you the tasty thrill
of salt-bush mere, above all else?

34

At last my camel every day
is browsing in that garden, where
Two tree-shoots are worth millions there
handful of leaves are thousands worth.

35

Two tree-shoots are worth millions...nay
one leaf alone five lakhs will be-
Now to enrich his soul he eats,
the wholesome blossoms of this tree-
Here e'en a withered leaf we see
is many, many hundreds worth.

36

My lakhs-worth camel, that I bought
for hundreds, beautiful became
For any eye to see; don't blame
and say too dearly he was bought.

37

My invaluable camel, friend,
no praise is now for him too high;
His manager fill with cardamoms
then saddle him, and he will fly,
All distance he will defy,
and here and now the Loved-one reach.

__________________
"The strongest man in this world is the one who stands most alone"