Ancient poems sparkle

By Jun Velasco

ASIDE from the food shortage, which economists say is a global phenomenon, the US presidential race is the favorite topic in conversation circles pushing aside the self-punishing corruption tales that have brought shame to the country.

Last week, an uncle, Erning Martinez, lent us a book, “Unlimited Access,” written by a former FBI agent, Gary Aldrich, who worked at the White House with no love lost, as the book glaringly shows, between him and the Clintons.

In its fly leaf, the book, which documents the dirt of the Clintons, says, is “an electrifying expose of a presidential administration with a great deal to hide and willing to put America at risk to keep it hidden.”

We could already imagine the propaganda mill of Barack Obama and Bill McCain at work, although at this point we still give the scholarly and eloquent Hillary a close edge over her black rival in the democratic nomination.

The Clinton-Obama rivalry has become so damaging that Republican bet McCain’s chances for the White House have received a tremendous boost.  

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While we boast at the contemporariness of the late Bayardo Estrada’s poems written yet in the 30’s, we culled at random some love poems written by ancient poets of China and India who lived   thousands of years back.  They show that love hasn’t changed since then.

 

Poem l by Mir, India’s greatest poet in l700

“I caught a glimpse of you with hair disheveled; / And my distracted heart was yours for life, /

 I never saw the stars so bright before -/ It was her eyes that taught them  how to shine!/  You talk in vain to see  me drained under the rain of love/ Try loving for a day or two and you will  understand./  Within the inmost chambers of my breast/ Something is tearing always at my heart.”

 

Poem 2 by Mir

“Joy of my life! Her body overflows with all delights-/ As the pure pearl shines through waters/ So does the beauty  of her body shine./ When the sweat soaks thru her bodice then I think/

God gathered roses for his task and made her out of them entire!/ Her body yields such joy I know no longer/ Whether it is my body or my soul/ We passed  the long nights naked in each other’s arms./  How strange that in the morning still she shyly veils her face from me.”

 

Poem 3 (China l000 A.D.) “The Drunken Lord” by a woman poet

“Outside my door the dog barks/ I know what it is – my lover’s here!/ Off with my stockings, down perfumed stars I go,/ But my good-for nothing lover is drunk tonight./I help him into my silk curtained bed./  Will he remove his robe? Oh, not, not he. My lord is drunk, left him be./ Better that than to sleep alone.”

 

Poem 4. First Night by Chang Heng 78 to 139 AD

“Though I long for my first union with you./ I feel like my hands touched boiling water,/ No joy will be like the joy of this first night,/  And we shall not forget it however old we’ll grow.

 

Poem 5. An Indian woman’s recollection

“As I neared the bed he smiled and gazed,/ Flower arrows filled the world/

 The play of love, its flow and luxuries, are indescribable O friend./And when I yielded – his joy was endless./  He snatched my garland, set free my skirt,/ He drank my lips -/ I lost my senses at his touch./ Sweet as honey are the words of a girl in love!”                

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The poems reprinted above were originally compiled by Prem Jesus Jesswani, Ma. Carolina Chua and Ajit Mansukhani who were taking Humanities at the Ateneo. It’s our way of introducing or reintroducing a forthcoming book of Bayardo Estrada, former executive editor of this paper.

(Readers may reach columnist at junmv@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/think-about-it/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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