ree.
Come, let us all from food abstain,
And perish thus, since hope is vain.
Stern is our king and swift to ire,
Imperious, proud, and fierce like fire,
And ne'er will pardon us the crime
Of fruitless search and wasted time.
Far better thus to end our lives,
And leave our wealth, our homes and wives,
Leave our dear little ones and all,
Than by his vengeful hand to fall.
Think not Sugriva's wrath will spare
Me Bali's son, imperial heir:
For Raghu's royal son, not he,
To this high place anointed me.
Sugriva, long my bitter foe,
With eager hand will strike the blow,
And, mindful of the old offence,
Will slay me now for negligence,
Nor will my pitying friends have power
To save me in the deadly hour.
No--here, O chieftains, will I lie
By ocean's marge, and fast and die."

They heard the royal prince declare
The purpose of his fixt despair;
And all, by common terror moved,
His speech in these sad words approved:
"Sugriva's heart is hard and stern,
And Rama's thoughts for Sita yearn.
Our forfeit lives will surely pay
For idle search and long delay,
And our fierce king will bid us die
The favour of his friend to buy."

Then Tara softly spake to cheer
The Vanars' hearts oppressed by fear:
"Despair no more, your doubts dispel:
Come in this ample cavern dwell.
There may we live in blissful ease
Mid springs and fruit and bloomy trees,
Secure from every foe's assault,
For magic framed the wondrous vault.
Protected there we need not fear
Though Rama and our king come near;
Nor dread e'en him who batters down
The portals of the foeman's town."(756)

Canto LIV. Hanuman's Speech.

But Hanuman, while Tara, best
Of splendid chiefs his thought expressed,
Perceived that Bali's princely son
A kingdom for himself had won.(757)
His keen eye marked in him combined
The warrior's arm, the ruler's mind,
And every noble gift should grace
The happy sovereign of his race:
Marked how he grew with ripening age
More glorious and bold and sage,--
Like the young moon that night by night
Shines on with ever waxing light,--
Brave as his royal father, wise
As he who counsels in the skies:(758)
Marked how, forwearied with the quest,
He heeded not his liege's hest,
But Tara's every word obeyed
Like Indra still by Sukra(759) swayed.
Then with his prudent speech he tried
To better thoughts the prince to guide,
And by division's skilful art
The Vanars and the youth to part:
"Illustrious Angad, thou in fight
Hast f