O, Thee, The Crowned Flutist Poem by Swami Parmanand

1. Puzzled ! I wonder, royal Flutist,
Thou brusheth off the strains of
Trials and tribulations of life,
O, Thee, the crowned Flutist !

2. Shuttling between birth, rebirth,
A dreadful, dark shadow of drabness:
How blinding dark is moonless fortnight !
Else, on the ethereal path,
What'll I reveal, what conceal ?
O, Thee, the crowned Flutist !

3. Crooked and dingy is the load of sin,
And loose, the sling,
On my back are twigs and the lamb, and
Eleven paths leading to the ghat ! (destiny)
Obstructive, destructive, are the senses
And, the mind wavering and weak !
What'll I reveal, what conceal?
O, Thee, the crowned Flutist !.

4. The sword of Death hangs
On my neck !
And, too frightened, I am
Or else, at the opportune moment,
I sit posing calm !
Opened I, the decree of Death
And, presently He changes
The decree !
What'll I reveal, what conceal;
O, Thee, the crowned Flutist?

5. Devalued got the pearls in
My state of distress:
The youth in bloom's robust but
The merchandise raw !
With the fading glow of youth
Ostriched gets old age !
What would I reveal, what conceal ?
O, Thee, the crowned Flutist!

6. Missing

7. What I sowed, grain by grain,
Will I reap ear by ear.
How devotedly would I plant (or 'How I missed my aim, fumble to say !)
I fumble to say.
Grind you in the grinding Mill,
They'll
Don't you cut your lips
In repentance!
What'll I reveal, what conceal?
O, thee, the crowned Flutist!

8. Duds destroyed this My tree of business:
Laying a tie to foresee
My immediate future:
For sure, the tie, again and again
Turned against me
What shall I reveal, what conceal?
O, Thee, the crowned Flutist !


9. How deep in sweet slumber is
This household: still
You can see, how indifferent to wrath,
I have ever been....else,
Why should it have been, just
The opposite of what it was yesterday ?
What shall I reveal, what conceal ?
O, thee, the crowned Flutist !

10. Neither at home, nor with elders
Was I aggressive, ever;
Much less did I know,
How to complicate matters
Struck by lightning and thunder was I
By self-destructive wrath !
What shall I reveal ? what conceal ?
O, Thee, the crowned Flutist !

11. Ferry me across the bivouac of life, anyhow
Or else, I may drown !
Asking for different things at different times
Disgusted and dull, I've become:
Praying to Thee for all things together,
Thou too fulfill my desires in full together !
What would I reveal, what conceal ?
O, Thee, the crowned Flutist !

12. Parmanand, listen to and
Contemplate on Flute tunes always
Be ready with all that you possess.
The Flutist and the ash-bismirched
Still continue to be your concern.
What shall I reveal ? what conceal ?
O, Thee, the crowned Flutist !