Ritusamharam: A Gathering of Seasons

An ode to nature’s dynamism, Kalidasa’s Ritusamharam, translated by A.N.D. Haksar, is a celebration of the passage of seasons. It is essentially a collection of short love poems, with changing seasons as the backdrop, and a narrative of lovers reacting to the landscape. The poetry is mesmerising, it teases the imagination with opulent use of imagery—a traveller oblivious to the scorching summer heat, his mind aflame with the fire of longing for his sweetheart; thirsty chataka birds lusting for rain-filled clouds to burst in the monsoon; burning fires in the winter waking dormant desires of separated lovers. One of Kalidasa’s earliest and lightest works,Ritusamharam is a spirited medley of the ubiquitous relationships that nature has with humans and animals alike.