FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157  
158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   >>  
tter suggested by the commentary. One minor point calls for notice. The word Himalaya has been accented on the second syllable wherever it occurs. This accent is historically correct, and has some foothold in English usage; besides, it is more euphonious and better adapted to the needs of the metre. FORMER CLOUD I _A Yaksha, or divine attendant on Kubera, god of wealth, is exiled for a year from his home in the Himalayas. As he dwells on a peak in the Vindhya range, half India separates him from his young bride_. On Rama's shady peak where hermits roam, Mid streams by Sita's bathing sanctified, An erring Yaksha made his hapless home, Doomed by his master humbly to abide, And spend a long, long year of absence from his bride. II _After eight months of growing emaciation, the first cloud warns him of the approach of the rainy season, when neglected brides are wont to pine and die_. Some months were gone; the lonely lover's pain Had loosed his golden bracelet day by day Ere he beheld the harbinger of rain, A cloud that charged the peak in mimic fray, As an elephant attacks a bank of earth in play. III Before this cause of lovers' hopes and fears Long time Kubera's bondman sadly bowed In meditation, choking down his tears-- Even happy hearts thrill strangely to the cloud; To him, poor wretch, the loved embrace was disallowed. IV _Unable to send tidings otherwise of his health and unchanging love, he resolves to make the cloud his messenger_. Longing to save his darling's life, unblest With joyous tidings, through the rainy days, He plucked fresh blossoms for his cloudy guest, Such homage as a welcoming comrade pays, And bravely spoke brave words of greeting and of praise. V Nor did it pass the lovelorn Yaksha's mind How all unfitly might his message mate With a cloud, mere fire and water, smoke and wind-- Ne'er yet was lover could discriminate 'Twixt life and lifeless things, in his love-blinded state. VI _He prefers his request_, I know, he said, thy far-famed princely line, Thy state, in heaven's imperial council chief, Thy changing forms; to thee, such fate is mine, I come a suppliant in my widowed grief-- Better thy lordly "no" than meaner souls' relief. VII O cloud, the parching spirit stirs thy pity; My bride is far, through royal wrath and might; Bring
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157  
158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   >>  



Top keywords:
Yaksha
 

months

 

Kubera

 

tidings

 

praise

 
comrade
 
bravely
 

cloudy

 
blossoms
 

greeting


homage

 

welcoming

 
joyous
 

wretch

 
disallowed
 

embrace

 
strangely
 
thrill
 

hearts

 

Unable


Longing

 

darling

 

unblest

 

messenger

 

health

 

unchanging

 

resolves

 

plucked

 

suppliant

 

widowed


Better

 
council
 

changing

 

lordly

 

spirit

 
parching
 

meaner

 
relief
 

imperial

 
heaven

lovelorn
 

message

 
unfitly
 
choking
 

request

 

princely

 
prefers
 

discriminate

 
lifeless
 

things