POEM
(“Lest I should know you...”)
Rabindranath Tagore VIII
Lest I should know you too easily, you play with me.
You blind me with flashes of laughter to hide your tears.
I know, I know your art;
You never say the word you would.
Lest I should prize you not, you elude me in a thousand ways.
Lest I should mix you with the crowd, you stand aside.
I know, I know your art;
You never walk the path you would.
Your claim is more than others; that is why you are silent.
With a playful carelessness you avoid my gifts.
I know, I know your art;
You never accept what you would.
Source: Poetry (June 1913).
This poem originally appeared in the June 1913 issue of Poetry.
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A native of Calcutta, India, who wrote in Bengali and often translated his own work into English, . . . MORE »
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