By Damodara Nityananda Dasa
Sayyed Martuza (1590-1662), a Muslim fakir born in the Murshidabad district of Bengal, wrote poems adoring Krishna. The style of his composition is simple and rhythmic. Here is his Bengali poem that was compiled in Pada-kalpa-taru by Satishchandra Raya in 1915: Timely Compassion Syama! O friend! My afflicted life is assuaged only by You I cannot forget that auspicious day when I happened to meet You As I beheld Your moonlike face, I was overcome by restlessness! The soul of this unfortunate girl aches; in twenty-four minutes it dies ten times!