They told us girls in tender years
To be like you O Goddess fair
We heard of your justice divine
Our heads bent in ardent prayer
They scolded us for playing rough
“How you dirty your pretty dress!”
And sneered at us wearing make-up
Yet calling our bare faces a mess
They pushed us hard to do our best
“You better use the chance we give”
But if we failed, would pounce to say
Beneath men rightly must we live
They washed our feet as little girls
To worship the mother goddess
Upon our first blood though we were beasts
Our bodies dens of foul darkness
They pampered us with dainty gifts
“Girls are truly our pride and joy”
And hacked us into pieces if
Against their wish married a boy
I think they did this to you too
O goddess, of this I am assured
For your stone idol never weeps
When your daughters scream every word
You parted through crowds, for a glimpse of me
And scaled the wall steep, for a word with me
And braved the gardener, for a rose for me
And wrote love poems, for a smile from me
And starved willingly, for a grape for me
And travelled all Persia, for perfume for me
When it was time to face your love for me,
Cast aside the wrath of the world for me,
To trust in our future, yourself, and me-
Like the obedient sons of times old and new
You bowed to them, without a thought for me,
And married the girl from the same caste.
In your own palms, you crushed your love for me