Is my Mother Shyama black?
People say that Kali means black,
but my mind says that this is not so.
In Her dark beauty, the Naked One
illuminates the lotus of my heart.
Is my Mother Shyama black?
Shyama is sometimes white, at other times yellow,
again blue, and vibrant red.
The Mother’s true nature is beyond my understanding
and in contemplating Her my life has dissolved.
Is my Mother Shyama black?
Shyama is sometimes spirit, sometimes matter,
and the transcendent void beyond both.
Lost in Her ecstasy, Kamalanta has gone insane.
Is my mother Shyama black?