Like Vivekananda’s letters, many of his poems were edited.
Let us compare the version of REQUISCAT IN PACE! as published in the first edition of Notes of Some Wanderings with the Swami Vivekananda (published under the watchful eye of Swami Saradanananda) and the version published in the Complete Works….
(Words and punctuations in one version which is different from another are shown in red)
Version in first edition of Notes of Some Wanderings
Speed forth, O soul! upon thy star-strewn path,
Speed, blissful one, where thought is ever free,
Where time and sense no longer mist the view,
Eternal peace and blessings be on thee!
Thy service true, complete thy sacrifice,
Thy home the heart of love transcendent find,
Remembrance sweet, that tells all space and time,
Like altar–roses, fill thy place behind.
Thy bonds are broke, thy quest in bliss is found.
And–one with that which comes as Death and Life, –
Thou helpful one! unselfish e’er on earth,
Ahead, still aid with love this world of strife.
– Swami Vivekananda
Edited version found as published in the ‘Complete works of Swami Vivekananda’
Speed forth, O Soul! upon thy star-strewn path;
Speed, blissful one! where thought is ever free,
Where time and space no longer mist the view,
Eternal peace and blessings be with thee!
Thy service true, complete thy sacrifice,
Thy home the heart of love transcendent find;
Remembrance sweet, that kills all space and time,
Like altar roses fill thy place behind!
Thy bonds are broke, thy quest in bliss is found,
And one with That which comes as Death and Life;
Thou helpful one! unselfish e’er on earth,
Ahead! still help with love this world of strife!