Rabindranath Tagore. Union. Harriet Monroe, ed. Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. 1912-22

Harriet Monroe, ed. (1860–1936). Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. 1912–22.

Union

By Rabindranath Tagore


From “Narratives” TULSIDAS, the poet, as was his custom, was wandering, deep in thought, by the Ganges, in that lonely spot where they burn their dead.
He found a woman sitting at the feet of the corpse of her dead husband, gaily dressed as for her wedding.
She rose as she saw him, bowed to him and said, “Permit me, master, with your blessings to follow my husband to heaven.”
“Why such hurry, my daughter?” asked Tulsi. “Is not this earth also his who made heaven?”
“For heaven I do not hanker,” said the woman; “I want my husband.”	5
Tulsi smiled and said to her, “Go back to your home, my child. Before the month is over you will find your husband.”
The woman went back with glad hope. Tulsi came to her every day and gave her high thoughts to think and immortal truths for meditation; till her heart was filled to the brim with love divine.
When the month was scarcely over, came to her curious neighbors and enquired, “Woman, have you found your husband?”
The widow smiled and said, “I have.”
Eagerly they asked, “Where is he?”	10
“In my heart is my lord, one with me,” said the woman.