A History of Indian Literature v3.c35.s8.242

v3.c35.s8.242

At the first sight it may appear probable that in love-lyrics of Indians, in contrast to the love-ballads of other nations, the element of thought prevails over all other. The truth is that this is strong in love-songs of India for the taste of Westerners, that is already strongly prepossessed: the beautiful ladies bend down under the load of their breasts, their hips are like trunks of an elephant, the lovers remove with violence the garment of the loving women; often the theme is biting and scratching—but lovers and beloved forget these too on account of their longing and die for love. It is also true that like court ornate poetry, the Indian lyrics, for the taste of Westerners, are all the more important for their form, and really they are often nothing more than an ingenious play. But not seldom we come across also true and deep feelings and internal devotion likewise in erotic and religious lyrics. In India, in lyric poetry, as in the whole of Indian poetry, the deep natural feeling is genuine and unaffected².