Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, Ūrdhva-mūlam Adhah-śhākham

from Eternity in an Hour, a unique reimagining of the Bhagavad Gita
Premiered at Oxford International Song Festival 2024
Jess Dandy, contralto
Keval Shah, piano
Reena Esmail, composer
Bobby Williams, sound & film engineer
The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit and always green:
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared with Christ the Apple Tree.
For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I have bought:
I missed of all; but now I see
‘Tis found in Christ the Apple Tree.
With great delight I’ll make my stay,
There’s none shall fright my soul away;
Among the sons of men I see
There’s none like Christ the Apple Tree.
​​ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śhākham
with roots above, branches below
aśhvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam
they speak of the eternal sacred fig tree
chhandānsi yasya parṇāni
Its leaves are Vedic mantras
yas taṁ veda sa veda-vit
who knows it knows the Vedas
adhaśh chordhvaṁ prasṛitās
downward and upward extend
tasya śhākhā guṇa-pravṛiddhā
its branches, nourished by modes of material nature,
viṣhaya-pravālāḥ
its buds objects of the senses
adhaśh cha mūlāny anusantatāni
downward its roots keep growing
karmānubandhīni manuṣhya-loke
bound with actions in the human world