A LOVER’S WELCOME

This week, our featured book is Erotic Poems from the Sanskrit: An Anthology, edited and translated by R. Parthasarathy. Today we’re featuring some excerpts from the book–poems fit for happy lovers. Enjoy!

She hung a broad festoon above the door—
with only her eyes, not with blue lotuses.
She gave away a bunch of flowers—
with only her smiles, not with jasmine and such.
She made a ritual offering—
with only the sweat trickling down her breasts,
not with water splashed from a jar.
And with only her body,
the lovely woman welcomed her lover into the house.

THAT’S HOW I SAW HER

Hurriedly, she threw my silk cloth over her loins
and knotted her hair that had come loose
in the vigorous love play; her heavy breathing
showed my fingernail marks on her breasts.
That’s how I saw her, head lowered,
recalling her boldness, after we had made love.

STONEHEARTED

On merely hearing his name,
a shiver runs through my body.
At the very sight of his face,
I break out in a sweat like a moonstone.
When my lover, who is dearer to me
than life itself, comes near and caresses
my neck, I stop sulking, though at times
I am as stonehearted as ever.

WALKING THE STREET BY HER HOUSE

Just a glimpse of her blows his mind away
and he thinks of a ruse to make her acquaintance.
When passion reaches fever pitch,
he will have to approach a friend to help out.
Short of the pleasure of embracing his love,
even walking the street by her house
makes him delirious with joy.

FEIGNING SLEEP

Seeing that she was unattended in the bedroom,
the young wife rose slowly from the bed
and looked long at her husband’s face
as he feigned sleep. Boldly she kissed him
but noticing his flushed cheeks,
lowered her head in shame.
Her loved one then burst out laughing
and for long covered her face with kisses.

Remember to enter our book giveaway by Friday at 1 PM for a chance to win a free copy!