Translating a genius, on love

What is anxiety my friend? Oh playmate, what is agony?
You all say day and night, 'love, love,love'
Tell me my playmate, what is love? Is it only torment?
It is only shedding tears? Is that only sorrow's breathing?
Why then, in what expectation of joy, people hopefully embrace such sorrow?


In my eyes all is handsome, All fresh, all spotless.
The blue sky, darkgreen wood, Liberal moonlight, the soft flowers - every thing like me.
They only smile, only sing,
and wish to die after a sportive game
(love) knows no pain, knows no crying, its above all kinds of agony.
Flowers laugh while they get shed, the moonlight smilingly disappears,
In the sea of light the star, all smiles, does his form abandon.


Who is happy like me? Come friend, come near to me
The joyous song of a happy heart will feed your mind with solace.
If everyday you cry, why not laugh for a single day
Forget all sadness for at least a day, let us sing together.


A Translation of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's "Sakhi Bhavana Kaharey Bale"
--- The adolescent knocking on the doors of womanhood, to her confidante, about her overwhelming yet ambivalent feeling of love...

Picturised on a early 20th century newly wed 16 year old girl talking to her friend who has come to visit her at her inlaws, over a moonlit gardenside...