ravening tigresses are near,--
The hapless lady lay distraught
Like some wild thing but newly caught,
And found no solace, no relief
From agonizing fear and grief;
Not for one moment could forget
Each terrifying word and threat,
Or the fierce eyes upon her set
By those who watched around.
She thought of Rama far away,
She mourned for Lakshman as she lay
In grief and terror and dismay
Half fainting on the ground.

Canto LVII. Sita Comforted.

Soon as the fiend had set her down
Within his home in Lanka's town
Triumph and joy filled Indra's breast,
Whom thus the Eternal Sire addressed:

"This deed will free the worlds from woe
And cause the giants' overthrow.
The fiend has borne to Lanka's isle
The lady of the lovely smile,
True consort born to happy fate
With features fair and delicate.
She looks and longs for Rama's face,
But sees a crowd of demon race,
And guarded by the giant's train
Pines for her lord and weeps in vain.
But Lanka founded on a steep
Is girdled by the mighty deep,
And how will Rama know his fair
And blameless wife is prisoned there?
She on her woe will sadly brood
And pine away in solitude,
And heedless of herself, will cease
To live, despairing of release.
Yes, pondering on her fate, I see
Her gentle life in jeopardy.
Go, Indra, swiftly seek the place,
And look upon her lovely face.
Within the city make thy way:
Let heavenly food her spirit stay."

Thus Brahma spake: and He who slew
The cruel demon Paka, flew
Where Lanka's royal city lay,
And Sleep went with him on his way.
"Sleep," cried the heavenly Monarch, "close
Each giant's eye in deep repose."

Thus Indra spoke, and Sleep fulfilled
With joy his mandate, as he willed,
To aid the plan the Gods proposed,
The demons' eyes in sleep she closed.
Then Sachi's lord, the Thousand-eyed,
To the Asoka garden hied.
He came and stood where Sita lay,
And gently thus began to say:
"Lord of the Gods who hold the sky,
Dame of the lovely smile, am I.
Weep no more, lady, weep no more;
Thy days of woe will soon be o'er.
I come, O Janak's child, to be
The helper of thy lord and thee.
He through my grace, with hosts to aid,
This sea-girt land will soon invade.
'Tis by my art that slumbers close
The eyelids of thy giant foes.
Now I, with Sleep, this place have sought,
Videhan lady, and have brought
A gift of heaven's ambrosial food
To stay thee in thy solitude.
Receive it from my hand, and taste,
O lady of the dai