GÍTAGÓ VINDA; O R, THE SONGS OF JAYADÉ V A. THE HE firmament is obfcured by clouds; the woodlands are black with Tamála-trees; that youth, who roves in the foreft, will be fearful in the gloom of night; go my daughter; bring the ' wanderer home to my ruftic manfion.' Such was the command of NANDA, the fortunate herdsman ; and hence arofe the love of RADHA and MADHAVA, who sported on the bank of Yamuna, or haftened eagerly to the fecret bower. Ir thy foul be delighted with the remembrance. of HERI, or fenfible to the raptures of love, listen to the voice of JAYADE'VA, whose notes are both fweet and brilliant. O THOU, who reclineft on the bofom of CAMALA'; whofe ears flame with gems, and whofe locks are embellifhed with fylvan flowers; thou, from whom the day ftar derived his effulgence; who fleweft the venom-breathing CA'LIYA, who beamedft, like a fun, on the tribe of YADU, that flourished like a lotos; thou, who fitteft on the plumage of GARURA, who, by fubduing demons, gaveft exquifite joy to the affembly of immortals; thou, for whom the daughter of JANA CA CA was decked in gay apparel; by whom DU'SHANA was overthrown; thou, whofe eye sparkles like the water-lily, who calledft three worlds into existence; thou, by whom the rocks of Mandar were eafily fupported, who fippeft nectar from the radiant lips of PEDMA', as the fluttering Chacóra drinks the moonbeams; be victorious, O HERI, lord of conquest. RADHA fought him long in vain, and her thoughts were confounded by the fever of defire: fhe roved in the vernal morning among the twining Váfantis covered with foft bloffoms, when a damfel thus addreffed her with youthful hilarity: The gale, that has wantoned round the beautiful cloveplants breathes now from the hills of Maylaya; the circling arbours refound with the notes of the • Cócil and the murmers of honey-making fwarms. 'Now the hearts of damfels, whofe lovers travel at ' a distance, are pierced with anguifh; while the bloffoms of Bacul are confpicuous among the flowrets covered with bees. The Tamála, with leaves dark and odorous, claims a tribute from the mufk, which it vanquishes; and the clustering flowers of the Paláfa refemble the nails of CA'ma; ⚫ with which he rends the hearts of the young. The full-blown Céfara gleams like the fceptre of the world's monarch, Love; and the pointed thyrfe of the Cétaca resembles the darts, by which lovers are wounded. See the bunches of Pátali-flowers filled with bees, like the quiver of SMARA full of 'fhafts; while the tender bloffom of the Caruna ་ fmiles to fee the whole world laying fhame afide; The The far-fcented Mádbavi beautifies the trees, 'round which it twines; and the fresh Mallicà feduces, with rich perfume, even the hearts of hermits; while the Amra-tree, with blooming tresses ' is embraced by the gay creeper Atimuita, and the blue ftreams of Yamuna wind round the groves of • Vrindavan. In this charming feafon, which gives *pain to separated lovers, young HERI Sports and dances with a company of damfels. A breeze, like the breath of love, from the fragrant flowers of the • Cétaca, kindles every heart, whilst it perfumes the "woods with the duft, which it shakes from the • Mallicá with half-opened buds; and the Cócila bursts into fong, when he fees the bloffoms gliftening on the lovely Rafála." THE jealous RA'DHA' gave no anfwer; and, foon after, her officious friend, perceiving the foe of MuRA, in the foreft, eager for the rapturous embraces of the herdsmen's daughters, with whom he was dancing, thus again addreffed his forgotten miftrefs: • With a garland of wild flowers, descending even 'to the yellow mantle, that girds his azure limbs, diftinguished by fmiling cheeks and by ear-rings, ' that fparkle, as he plays, HERI exults in the affemblage of amorous damfels. One of them preffes him ' with her swelling breast, while fhe warbles with exquifite melody. Another, affected by a glance from his eye, ftands meditating on the lotos of his face. A third, on pretence of whifpering a fecret ' in his ear, approaches his temples, and kiffes them with ardour. One feizes his mantle and draws • him towards her, pointing to the bower on the banks of Yamuna, where elegant Vanjulas interweave their 'branches. He applauds another, who dances in the sportive circle, whilft her bracelets ring, as fhe beats time with her palms. Now he careffes one, and kiffes another, fmiling on a third with compla$ cency; and now he chases her, whose beauty has moft allured him. Thus the wanton HERI frolicks, in the feafon of fweets, among the maids of Vraja, who rush to his embraces, as if he were • Pleasure itself affuming a human form; and one * of them, under a pretext of hymning his divine perfections, whispers in his ear: "Thy lips, my ❝ beloved, are nectar." RA'DHA' remains in the foreft; but refenting the promifcuous paffion of HERI, and his neglect of her beauty, which he once thought fuperiour, fhe retires to a bower of twining plants, the fummit of which refounds with the humming of fwarms engaged in their fweet labours; and there, falling languid on the ground, fhe thus addreffes her female companion. Though he take recreation in my • abfence, and fmile on all around him, yet my foul remembers him, whofe beguiling reed modulates a tune sweetened by the nectar of his quivering lip, while his ear sparkles with gems, and his eye darts 'amorous glances; Him, whofe locks are decked with the plumes of peacocks refplendent with 'many-coloured moons, and whofe mantle gleams like a dark-blue cloud illumined with rain-bows Him, whofe graceful fmile gives new luftre to his lips, lips, brilliant and foft as a dewy leaf, fweet and ruddy as the bloffom of Bandhujíva, while they 'tremble with eagerness to kifs the daughters of the herdfmen; him, who difperfes the gloom with 'beams from the jewels, which decorate his bofom, his wrifts, and his ankles, on whofe forehead 'fhines a circlet of fandal wood, which makes even 'the moon contemptible, when it fails through irradiated clouds; Him, whofe ear-rings are form'ed of entire gems in the fhape of the fish Macar on the banners of Love; even the yellow-robed God, whofe attendants are the chiefs of deities, of holy men, and of demons; him, who reclines under a gay Cadamba-tree; who formerly delighted me, while he gracefully waved in the dance, and all his foul sparkled in his eye. My weak mind thus enumerates his qualities; and, though offended, ftrives to banifh offence. What else can it do? It cannot part with its, affection for CRISHNA, whofe love is excited by other damfels, and who fports in the absence of RA'DHA'. Bring, O friend, that vanquisher of the demon CE'SI, to Sport with me, who am repairing to a fecret bower, who look timidly on all fides, who meditate with amorou's fancy on his divine transfiguration. Bring him, whofe difcourfe was once compofed of the gentleft 'words, to converse with me, who am bafhful on his firft approach, and exprefs my thoughts with a fmile fweet as honey. Bring him who formerly flept on my bofom, to recline with me on a greeh bed of leaves juft gathered, while his lip fheds ་ ¢ • dew, |