Mirabai is a legendary literary and spiritual figure. Born a princess in Rajasthan in 1498, Mira (as she is more commonly known) eschewed the marriage her royal family had arranged for her, celebrating instead her right to independence and intense devotion to Krishna in both her life and poetry.

In this collection, two acclaimed poets, Robert Bly and Jane Hirshfield, have created lively English versions of Mirabai’s poems, using fresh images and energetic rhythms to make them accessible to modern readers.

The Flute
The song of the flute, O sister, is madness.
I thought that nothing that was not God could hold me,
But hearing that sound, I lose mind and body,
My heart wholly caught in the net.
O flute, what were your vows, what is your practice?
What power sits by your side?
Even Mira’s Lord is trapped in your seven notes.