'COME AND HIRE me,' I cried, while in the morning I was walking on the stone-paved road. Sword in hand, the King came in his chariot. He held my hand and said, I will hire you with my power.' But his power counted for nought, and he went away in his chariot. In the heat of the midday the houses stood with shut doors. I wandered along the crooked lane. An old man came out with his bag of gold. He pondered and said, I will hire you with my money.' He weighed his coins one by one, but I turned away. It was evening. The garden hedge was all aflower. The fair maid came out and said, I will hire you with a smile.' Her smile paled and melted into tears, and she went back alone into the dark. The sun glistened on the sand, and the sea waves broke waywardly. A child sat playing with shells. He raised his head and seemed to know me, and said, I hire you with nothing.' From thenceforward that bargain struck in child's play made me a free man.
I MUST LAUNCH out my boat. The languid hours pass by on the shore-Alas for me! The spring has done its flowering and taken leave. And now with the burden of faded futile flowers I wait and linger. The waves have become clamorous, and upon the bank in the shady lane the yellow leaves flutter and fall. What emptiness do you gaze upon! Do you not feel a thrill passing through the air with the notes of the far away song floating from the other shore?
না বাঁচাবে আমায় যদি মারবে কেন তবে? কিসের তরে এই আয়োজন এমন কলরবে? অগ্নিবাণে তূণ যে ভরা, চরণভরে কাঁপে ধরা, জীবনদাতা মেতেছ যে মরণ-মহোৎসবে। বক্ষ আমার এমন ক'রে বিদীর্ণ যে কর উৎস যদি না বাহিরায় হবে কেমনতরো? এই যে আমার ব্যথার খনি জোগাবে ওই মুকুটমণি-- মরণ-দুখে জাগাব মোর জীবন-বল্লভে।
