English Translation of 'Gita-Govinda' by Dr. Harekrishna Meher

'Gita-Govinda' 
Original Sanskrit Lyric Kavya by : 
Poet Jayadeva (12th Century A.D.)
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English Rendering by : 
Dr. Harekrishna Meher
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Extracts are presented here. 
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'The sky is encompassed by clouds.

With the hue of Tamāla trees,
darksome appear the sites of woods.
This dear Kāhnā
feels very timid at night.
O Rādhā ! You therefore please
accompany him to reach home aright.’
Thus by the words of King Nanda,
stepped ahead both Rādhā and Mādhava
towards the tree of bowers on the way.
Glory to their plays of love, secret and gay,
on the bank of river Yamunā.'  

* *

'If your mind is fraught with sentiment
in remembering Lord Hari,
if you have any curiosity
in the arts of joyful dalliance,
then listen to Jayadeva’s writing literary,
that contains the words sweet, delicate and lovely.'   

* *

'Here appears the pleasurable Spring,
wherein the delicate zephyr
of Malaya mountain
gently blows having loving embrace
of the graceful Lavańga creeper
and wherein the cottage of bowers is
filled with the sweet cooing of cuckoos
mingled with the humming of black-bees.
O Dear Friend ! Hari enjoys wandering
and dances with the young maidens
in this season which is unbearably afflicting
to the couple separated from each other.' 
* *

'During the days of Spring season,
ears of the wayfarers
painfully feel very feverish
by the noisy sound of cooing of cuckoos
sporting in the mango-blossoms
that slowly swing by the black bees
craving for the emerging sweet aroma.
These vernal days are anyhow
passed with difficulties
by the lonely wayfarers
who in cheerful sentiments enjoy union
with their life-like maidens
attained in some moments of concentration
within their mental sphere.'   

* *

'By this time,
as a big dot of sandal paste
on the forehead of the Direction-Damsel,
Moon, spreading own rays, illuminated
the inner area of Vrindāvana.
He had borne the beauty of a distinct stain
as if caused by sin due to own appearance
on the path of the adulterous maidens.'   

* *

'These lips of thine really bear similarity
with the beauty of flower Bandhūka.
O Self-esteemed Lady !
Thy comely cheeks compile the lustres of Madhūka.
Manifesting the beauty
of blue lotuses, thy eyes are very lovely.
The stature of Tila flower, thy nose bears.
Thy teeth, O My Dear !
spread the radiance of Kunda flower.
Serving thy fine face with these five flowers,
the Flower-shafted Love-god Cupid
conquers the entire universe indeed.'  

* *  

'Languid are thy eyes with intoxication (Madālasā). 

Effulgent is thy face with charming moonbeam (Indumatī). 
Thy gait gladdens mind of all the beings (Manoramā). 
Thy thighs form the tremulous plantain tree (Rambhā). 
Embellished with art is thy erotic play (Kalāvatī). 
Thy brows have lovely lines of painting (Chitralekhā). 
O Slim-limbed beloved lady ! 
Ah, present on earth, 
You bear the juvenile exuberance of nymphs  

who adorn the dominion of gods.'   

* * 

'Ye noble self like the divine doctor !
All the illness of Cupid-stricken Rādhā
can be cured very well
only by the ambrosia
of your loving embrace.
If you do not make her
free from this grief so far,
O Dear Upendra !
Really very cruel
more than the thunderbolt you are.'  

* * 

'O Krishna ! 

In the days by-gone,
she was unable to endure your separation,
by the grief caused by closing of eyes,
and now how can she tolerate having sighs
the long estrangement,
looking at the branch of mango tree

having blossoms at the top ? '

* *

'O Krishna ! Owing to pangs of separation,
for Rādhā, her home seems to be a forest.
The group of her dear maiden-friends
appears as a trapping net.
With heavy sighs, the heat of separation
turns to be a vast forest-conflagration.
It is a matter of severe woe
that because of thy separation,
Oh, how she appears as a doe,
and Love-god Cupid for her,
has become Yama, the Lord of Death,
displaying the activities of a fierce tiger.'

* *

'O My Friend ! Here
florescence of new Asoka creeper
bearing few bunches of flowers
is not at all pleasurable to my eyes
and causes distress immense.
Breeze of pleasure-grove beside pond
gives me pains further.
This budding of mango-blossoms with sharp tips,
though charming with the humming of black-bees
roving over them, does not give me a gleeful sense.'

* *

'O Liquor of Madhuka !
No noble thought arises for you.
O Sugar ! You’re very unsavoury really.
O Grape ! Who will behold you ?
O Nectar ! You’re gone dead.
O Milk ! Your essence is mere water.
You weep, O Ripe Mango !
O Lips of Beloved Lady !
Down to the nether region you go,
as long as the sweet words of Jayadeva
in this world on all sides offer
emotional feelings of erotic expression.'

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[Extracted from Gita-Govinda's Complete English Translation 

by Dr. Harekrishna Meher]

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Gita-Govinda Odia Version Complete :

 http://hkmeher.blogspot.in/2016/10/poet-jayadevas-gita-govinda-complete.html 

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'Critical Analysis of Gita-Govinda of Poet Jayadeva' (Article)

Ref. Link : 

http://hkmeher.blogspot.in/2010/12/critical-analysis-of-poet-jayadevas.html
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Ref : ‘LOKARATNA’ (E-Journal) Volume-3, 2010. 
'A Critical Analysis of Poet Jayadeva's Gita-Govinda' 
Research Article by: Dr. Harekrishna Meher : 

Link : 

http://www.indianfolklore.org/journals/index.php/Lok/search/authors/view?firstName=Dr.%20Harekrishna&middleName=&lastName=Meher&affiliation=&country

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