Sutra of the Heart

Preah Riem Neang Sitha

This heart, inside of me, the source of my life is suffering
It is crushed with anguish, repressed with sorrow
This source of my life is being smothered by the depth of your apathy
Oh nymph of this world, free me from this heavy punishment

I am from afar, my travel has exhaust me, so when I saw an abode
from a distant hill, I made my last effort to beg for alms

Why stand you so still, what apathy is this, that you must abjure me of this
needed hospitality

In abject humility I bow before you, O nymph of this world,
I come afar, crossed deep jungles, dangerous swamps, and vast sea,
I am hungry and thus beg for thy sympathy, bestow me your kindness
and provide nourishment for my soul

This is my heart that I lay before you,
as a beggar of love, in abject humility
cause me to suffer no more, say if you are apathetic
that you do not want me to stay,
but say if you are sympathetic that you will answer my alms
and leave me unattended no more

my heart is in your hand, do as you will,
let it die or let it live, only you can decide now

In every movement of my meditation, every movement of
my thoughts, my inner eyes see you and at this sight
mindfulness is lost and my thoughts are no longer tranquil
if have not mercy on my heart, have mercy on my soul
detachment or love, only you can give

free me of your spell, or be a presence by my side
be the light of my meditation, or the void of tranquility
but don't be both.

I desire not your kiss, or your hold
just the presence of your love, the peace of looking
into your eyes and the knowledge of your faithful loyalty
what more is love then this?

Pure friendship, can there be any love purer than this?
//---------------------------------------------------//

This poetry is inspired by the epic Ramayana, one of the longest epic I will ever
hear and will ever watch again. When my uncle said it would take him the whole night to recite the story and it wouldn't be complete, I didn't believe it. Now I saw the movie, it took me almost 12 hours, and i didn't even start from the very beginning!
Supposedly it have 24,000 Sanskrit couplets. Its origin is somewhere from India but the epic gains wide popularity and influence in Southeast Asian literature as well.