As Lyre And The Musician

~

As lyre and the musician,

As thought and spoken word,

As rose and fragrant odours,

As flute and breath accord;

So deep the bond that binds me

To Christ my Lord.

As mother and her baby,

As traveler lost and guide,

As oil and flickering lamp-flame,

Are each to each allied;

Life of my life, Christ bindeth

Me to His side.

As lake and streaming rainfall,

As fish and water clear,

As sun and gladdening dayspring

In union close appear;

So Christ and I are hidden

In bonds how dear!

Narayan Vaman Tilak (translation by. J.C. Winslow)

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A Portion of the Christayana

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Let me not dream I dwell apart

Here on this earth and Thou on high;

Teach me to know that Thou are nigh,

The gracious Tenant of my heart.

Grant, Lord, the prayer that I present:

Whate’er there be of self in me,

Let all be swallowed up in Thee,

Two persons in one spirit blent.

And surely he, to whom is given

Wholly with Christ one soul to be

Hath taste of all felicity

And unto him this earth is heaven.

Christ be my Brother and my Friend,

Guru and King, my Soul, my Life;

Betwixt us may no breath of strife

Find place, all sense of difference end.

Poison and nectar, pain and bliss,

In the world’s cup commingled are;

But oh! than nectar sweeter far

The sweetness of Thy presence is!

Narayan Vaman Tilak(a portion of the Christayana)

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Spiritual Thirst

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Not by the well’s water, not by the river’s

Ease my suffering.

Water, water bring.

Holy river after river

Weary my wandering.

Water, water bring.

He who drinketh ne’er more thirsteth

That living water bring.

Water, water bring.

At the feet of Jesus only

Doth that water spring.

Water, water bring.

Life abundant, everlasting

Christ is offering.

Water, water bring.

~

Narayan Vaman Tilak (translated by J.C. Winslow)