Chapter IX

_Krishna:_ Beholding that my love was at her bath,
She pierced my heart with arrows five,--
The stream of water pouring from her tresses.
Was her moon-face weeping, frighted by their gloom.

The wet cloth clung upon her corse,--
So might Kāma shake a hermit's heart!
Twin breasts were cakravākas sweet.
United by the gods upon the self-same shore,--
Caged in the prison of her arms.
Lest they should fly away in fear.

_Vidyāpati, the poet, sings:_
_The precious maid her lover meets!_

X.

_Krishna:_ A joyous day this day for me!
I saw my love when she was bathing,
A stream of water pouring from her hair,--
The clouds were showering strings of pearls!

Wiping her face intentifly,
As though she cleansed a golden mirror,--
Discovering both her breasts.
Where had been set inverted golden cups,

She let her zone fall free:
_That was the bound of my desire, says Vidyāpati._

XI.

_Krishna:_ Rāi of the lily face had not yet climbed the bank,
When she beheld brave Kān before her:
'A maid demure, with hanging head, in company of elders.
How was I to see her face?'

But matchless was the bright may's art:
Stepping before them all, she called aloud,
With half-averted face,
And broke withal her string of pearls.
Crying aloud: 'My garland's broken!'
Every person, one and all, was gathering up the beads,--
Then she gazed on Shyāma!

Her partridge-eyes beholding Krishna's moon-fair face.
Were drinking draughts of dew:
_Each on the other gazing, spread abroad the taste
of bliss,--_
_That Vidyāpati knoweth well._

XII.

_Krishna:_ She smiled a little when she saw me lurking there--
As if the rising moon lit up the night:
And when she rained on me her sidelong glances,
The heavens became a swarm of bees.

Who knoweth whose the maid may be,
Setting my heart a-shake, and vanishing?
The humble-bee is prisoned in the lotus-flower of love,--
I was amazed to see the timid fair one passing by.

Then was made manifest the beauty of her breasts,--
(Whose heart does not the golden lily snare?)
Half was she hidden, half revealed.
Her globéd breasts told me of her desire.

_Vidyāpati says: That was love's dawn:_
_Whom does Madans secret arrow spare?_