Lalon Shah (d. 1890 CE) was a famous Baul and spiritual leader in Bengal who influenced many, including the writer Rabindranath Tagore. Although he was considered to be Muslim, he rejected all distinctions of caste and creed and his teaching was universal. In this poem, the ‘black moon’ is Lord Krishna, ‘the dark-skinned one who, paradoxically, lights up the night of ignorance.

Could I ever forget him
since I delivered my heart
at his feet?
His beauty enchants my eyes
round the compass
wherever I steer myself.

Though all call him black,
He is not black.
He is the glow of the moon–
the black moon,
and there is no other moon to equal him….

Translation Deben Bhattacharya