The morning sea of silence broke into ripples  of bird songs;
and the flowers were all merry by the roadside;
and the wealth of gold was scattered through the gift of the clouds
while we busily  went on our  way and paid no heed.

We sang no glad songs nor played;
we went  not to the village for barter;
we spoke not a word nor smiled;
We lingered not  on the way.
We quickened our pace more and more as  the time sped by.

The sun rose to the mid sky and doves  cooed in the shade.
Withered leaves danced and whirled in the hot air  of noon.
The shepherd boy  drowsed and dreamed in the shadow of the banyan tree,
and I laid myself down by the water
and stretched my tired limbs on the grass.
My companions laughed at me in scorn;
they held their heads high and hurried on;
they never looked back nor rested;
they vanished in the distant blue haze.

They crossed many meadows and  hills,
and  passed  through strange, far-away countries.
All honour to you, heroic host of the interminable path!
Mockery and reproach pricked me to rise,
but found  no response in me.

I gave myself up for lost
in the depth of a glad humiliation
−in the shadow of a dim delight.

The repose of the sun-embroidered green gloom
slowly spread over my heart.
I forgot for what I had travelled,
and surrendered my mind without struggle
to the maze of shadows and songs.

At last, when I woke from my slumber and opened my eyes,
I saw thee standing by me, flooding my sleep with Thy smile.
How I had feared that the path was long and  wearisome,
and the struggle to reach Thee was hard!