The Bhagavad Gita Comes Alive: A Radical Translation

by Jeffrey Armstrong

All the world is a stage, With you the directing sage, So eventually your story Becomes obligatory. Be careful that the plot, Is not that all is naught, For the audience is here for thrills, For heroes with hearts and wills, For heroines sublime, For good to overcome crime. And as you build the narrative, Make room for all to live. Remember the title of your script, Will be engraved upon your crypt. What you do with effect or cause, Comes back as booing or applause, So your feedback from the aisles, Will either be frowns or smiles. Remember in every scene, To convey the truth you mean, Design each soliloquy, To be heard for eternity. Be clear and analytic, To silence every critic; Invoke a flood of tears; Drive away petty fears, Tie love in chains and locks, Bind her with paradox, Then give her wings of glory, On the winds of oratory, Until again all see, Love lasts for perpetuity. And do not forget to dance, In the midst of circumstance. Raise your voice and sing, Until the rafters ring. And as you draw the conclusion, Remove all petty confusion. Give to the poor in charity, Free the cynic with clarity, Give irony to the clown, And before the curtain goes down, Speak what cannot be forgotten, Remind them of what they have gotten. And when your play is all the rage, Remember all the world is a stage. Jeffrey Armstrong | Kavindra Rishi