Ritusamharam A Gathering of Seasons

An ode to nature&rsquos dynamism, Kalidasa&rsquos 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&mdasha 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&rsquos earliest and lightest works,Ritusamharam is a spirited medley of the ubiquitous relationships that nature has with humans and animals alike.