The Village Song
The village sleeps beneath the starry sky,
And on the thatched roof whispers the soft breeze,
The moonbeams dance on waters flowing by,
While all the world is still in reveries.
The jasmine blooms, with fragrance sweet and deep,
And through the night the fireflies softly creep,
And, in the silence of the sleeping trees,
The nightingale pours out her heart in melodies.
The village sleeps, and all the world is still,
But in the heart of nature, life is rife;
The earth is breathing, and the stars stand still,
While all the world is hushed in peaceful strife.
The Lotus
Pale as the dawn, and like the dawn so fair,
A lotus lifts its head, serenely fair,
Upon the mirrored water, cool and bright,
And breathes its fragrance on the morn's first light.
The sunbeams kiss the petals, soft and white,
And wake the sleeping flower to the light,
That trembles in the dew, a diamond bright,
And sheds its glory on the morning's sight.
The lotus sleeps, and dreams of starry skies,
And waits the coming of the dawn's sweet rise,
And folds its petals, white and pure and fair,
To greet the sunbeams in the morning air.
These are just two examples of Sarojini Naidu's beautiful poetry. To experience more of her work, I recommend looking for collections of her poems online or at your local library.