One evening sitting by the shore and gazing at the horizon where the azure sky meets the ocean, the poet Subramanya Bharati invites the elusive muse. The muse is the divine personified as a lover. The muse comes uninvited in those rare heavenly moments when one is immersed in the contemplation of beauty. The exquisite poem "Maalai pozhudil oru" is a conversation between the poet and his beloved muse. She asks him, "What did you see?" She then basks in the glory of her own beauty as seen from the eyes of her beloved.
One evening, on a mound I sat looking into the vast expanse of sky and ocean
There in a corner of the horizon, I saw the sky arch to kiss and caress the ocean
Immersed in the vast blueness, I lost sense of passing time.
In numerous enchanting reveries, I lost track of myself.
In that magical moment, from behind she came and covered my eyes,
From gently touching the hands, I knew
From the fragrance wafting off the silk dress, I knew
From the excitement rising within me, I knew
From the union of our two hearts, I knew
"Oh Kannamma, take off your hands! Whom are you trying to trick?” I said
I moved her hands, turned around and embracing her said "tell me what's the news"
Laughing she asked "In the crushing ocean waves, what did you see?
In the blue skies, what did you see?
In the crushing foam, what did you see?
In the tiny bubbles, what did you see?
What good did you get by measuring the clouds? Tell me!"
In the crushing ocean waves, I saw your face
In the vast blue skies, I saw your face
In the tiny bubbles, I saw your face
Measuring the clouds, I saw nothing but your face.
I turned around and embraced you and saw again your face!
The hours when the mind is absorbed by beauty are the only hours when we really live - Richard Jefferies
One evening, on a mound I sat looking into the vast expanse of sky and ocean
There in a corner of the horizon, I saw the sky arch to kiss and caress the ocean
Immersed in the vast blueness, I lost sense of passing time.
In numerous enchanting reveries, I lost track of myself.
In that magical moment, from behind she came and covered my eyes,
From gently touching the hands, I knew
From the fragrance wafting off the silk dress, I knew
From the excitement rising within me, I knew
From the union of our two hearts, I knew
"Oh Kannamma, take off your hands! Whom are you trying to trick?” I said
I moved her hands, turned around and embracing her said "tell me what's the news"
Laughing she asked "In the crushing ocean waves, what did you see?
In the blue skies, what did you see?
In the crushing foam, what did you see?
In the tiny bubbles, what did you see?
What good did you get by measuring the clouds? Tell me!"
In the crushing ocean waves, I saw your face
In the vast blue skies, I saw your face
In the tiny bubbles, I saw your face
Measuring the clouds, I saw nothing but your face.
I turned around and embraced you and saw again your face!
The hours when the mind is absorbed by beauty are the only hours when we really live - Richard Jefferies