raaja basant, varsha rtuon kee raanee,
lekin, donon kee kitanee bhinn kahaanee!
raaja ke mukh mein hansee, kanth mein maala,
raanee ka antar vikal, drgon mein paanee.
dolatee surabhi raaja-ghar kone-kone,
pariyaan seva mein khadee sajaakar done.
khole alaken raanee vyaakul-see aaee,
umadee jaanen kya vyatha, lagee vah rone.
raanee roo, ponchho na ashru anchal se,
raaja abodh khelen kachanaar-kamal se.
raaja ke van mein kaise kusum khilenge,
seencho na dhara yadi tum aansoo ke jal se?
lekhanee likhe, man mein jo nihit vyatha hai,
raanee kee sab din geelee rahee katha hai.
treta ke raaja kshama karen yadi boloon,
raaja-raanee kee yug se yahee pratha hai.
vidhu-sang-sang chaandanee khilee van-van mein,
seete! tum to kho rahee charan-poojan mein.
to bhee, yah agni-vidhaan! raam nishthur hain;
raanee! janamee theen tum kis ashubh lagan mein?
nrp hue raam, tumane vipadaen jheleen;
theen keerti unhen priy, tum van gaee akelee.
vaidehi! tumhen maana kalankinee priy ne,
raanee! karuna kee tum bhee visham pahelee.
ro-ro raaja kee keertilata panapao,
raanee! aayasu hai, liye garbh ban jao.
sookho sarayoo! saaket! bhasm ho; raanee!
maa ke ur mein chhip raho, na mukh dikhalao.
au’ yahaan kaun yah vidhu kee malin kala-see,
sandhya-suhaag-see, tej-heen chapala-see?
ayi moortimatee karune dvaapar kee! bolo,
tum kaun maun ksheena alaka-abala-see?
ayi shakuntale! kaisa vishaad aanan mein?
rah-rah kisakee sudhi kasak rahee hai man mein?
pyaalee thee vah vish-bharee, prem mein bhoolee,
pee gaee jise bholee tum khata-bhavan mein.
maadhavee-kunj kee maadak pranay-kahaanee,
nayanon mein hai saakaar aaj ban paanee.
putalee mein rach tasaveer nithur raaja kee
raanee rotee phiratee van-van deevaanee.
raaja hansate hain, hanse, tumhen rona hai,
maaliny mukut ka bhee tumako dhona hai;
raanee! vidhi ka abhishaap yahaan oosar mein
aansoo se motee-beej tumhen bona hai.
kiranon ka kar avarodh uda anchal hai,
chhaaya mein raaja mana raha mangal hai.
raanee! raaja ko gyaat na, par anajaane,
bhroo-ingit par vah ghoom raha pal-pal hai.
vah nav vasant ka kusum, aur tum laalee,
vah paavas-nabh, tum sajal ghata matavaalee;
raanee! raaja kee is soonee duniya mein
bunatee svapnon se tum sone kee jaalee.
sukh kee tum maadak hansee, aah durdin kee,
sukh-dukh, donon mein, vibha indu amalin kee.
praanon kee tum gunjaar, prem kee peeda,
raanee! nisi ka madhu, aur deepti tum din kee.
pag-pag par jharate kusum, sukomal path hain,
raanee! kabaree ka bandh tumhaara shlath hai,
jhilamila rahee musakaanon se andhiyaalee,
chalata abaadh, nirbhay raaja ka rath hai.
chhitakee tum vidyut-shikha, hua ujiyaala,
tam-vikal sainikon mein sanjeevan daala;
haldeeghaatee hunkaar uthee jab raanee!
tum dhadhak uthee banakar jauhar kee jvaala.
raaja kee smriti ban jyoti khilee jauhar mein,
asi chadh chamakee raanee kee vibha samar mein;
bhoo par raanee joohee, gulaab raaja hai;
raaja-raanee hain soory-som ambar mein.
1935