The Ramayana Part 150

Come, let us love while yet we may, For youth will fly and charms decay, Come cast thy grief and fear aside, And be my love, my chosen bride.

The gems and jewels that my hand Has reft from every plundered land,- To thee I give them all this day, And at thy feet my kingdom lay.

The broad rich earth will I o'errun, And leave no town unconquered, none; Then of the whole an offering make To Janak,(830) dear, for thy sweet sake.

In all the world no power I see Of G.o.d or man can strive with me.

Of old the G.o.ds and Asurs set In terrible array I met: Their scattered hosts to earth I beat, And trod their flags beneath my feet.

Come, taste of bliss and drink thy fill, And rule the slave who serves thy will.

Think not of wretched Rama: he Is less than nothing now to thee.

Stript of his glory, poor, dethroned, A wanderer by his friends disowned, On the cold earth he lays his head, Or is with toil and misery dead.

And if perchance he lingers yet, His eyes on thee shall ne'er be set.

Could he, that mighty monarch, who Was named Hira?yakasipu, Could he who wore the garb of gold Win Glory back from Indra's hold?(831) O lady of the lovely smile, Whose eyes the sternest heart beguile, In all thy radiant beauty dressed My heart and soul thou ravishest.

What though thy robe is soiled and worn, And no bright gems thy limbs adorn, Thou unadorned art dearer far Than all my loveliest consorts are.

My royal home is bright and fair; A thousand beauties meet me there, But come, my glorious love, and be The queen of all those dames and me."

Canto XXI. Sita's Scorn.

She thought upon her lord and sighed, And thus in gentle tones replied: "Beseems thee not, O King, to woo A matron, to her husband true.

Thus vainly one might hope by sin And evil deeds success to win.

Shall I, so highly born, disgrace My husband's house, my royal race?

Shall I, a true and loyal dame, Defile my soul with deed of shame?"

Then on the king her back she turned, And answered thus the prayer she spurned: "Turn, Rava?, turn thee from thy sin; Seek virtue's paths and walk therein.

To others dames be honour shown; Protect them as thou wouldst thine own.

Taught by thyself, from wrong abstain Which, wrought on thee, thy heart would pain.(832) Beware: this lawless love of thine Will ruin thee and all thy line; And for thy sin, thy sin alone, Will Lanka perish overthrown.

Dream not that wealth and power can sway My heart from duty's path to stray.

Linked like the Day-G.o.d and his s.h.i.+ne, I am my lord's and he is mine.

Repent thee of thine impious deed; To Rama's side his consort lead.

Be wise; the hero's friends.h.i.+p gain, Nor perish in his fury slain.

Go, ask the G.o.d of Death to spare, Or red bolt flas.h.i.+ng through the air, But look in vain for spell or charm To stay my Rama's vengeful arm.

Thou, when the hero bends his bow, Shalt hear the clang that heralds woe, Loud as the clash when clouds are rent And Indra's bolt to earth is sent.

Then shall his furious shafts be sped, Each like a snake with fiery head, And in their flight shall hiss and flame Marked with the mighty archer's name.(833) Then in the fiery deluge all Thy giants round their king shall fall."

Canto XXII. Ravan's Threat.

Then anger swelled in Rava?'s breast, Who fiercely thus the dame addressed: "'Tis ever thus: in vain we sue To woman, and her favour woo.

A lover's humble words impel Her wayward spirit to rebel.

The love of thee that fills my soul Still keeps my anger in control, As charioteers with bit and rein The swerving of the steed restrain.

The love that rules me bids me spare Thy forfeit life, O thou most fair.

For this, O Sita, have I borne The keen reproach, the bitter scorn, And the fond love thou boastest yet For that poor wandering anch.o.r.et; Else had the words which thou hast said Brought death upon thy guilty head.

Two months, fair dame, I grant thee still To bend thee to thy lover's will.

If when that respite time is fled Thou still refuse to share my bed, My cooks shall mince thy limbs with steel And serve thee for my morning meal."(834)

The minstrel daughters of the skies Looked on her woe with pitying eyes, And sun-bright children of the G.o.ds(835) Consoled the queen with smiles and nods.

She saw, and with her heart at ease, Addressed the fiend in words like these; "Hast thou no friend to love thee, none In all this isle to bid thee shun The ruin which thy crime will bring On thee and thine, O impious King?

Who in all worlds save thee could woo Me, Rama's consort pure and true, As though he tempted with his love Queen Sachi(836) on her throne above?

How canst thou hope, vile wretch, to fly The vengeance that e'en now is nigh, When thou hast dared, untouched by shame, To press thy suit on Rama's dame?

Where woods are thick and gra.s.s is high A lion and a hare may lie; My Rama is the lion, thou Art the poor hare beneath the bough.

Thou railest at the lord of men, But wilt not stand within his ken.

What! is that eye unstricken yet Whose impious glance on me was set?

Still moves that tongue that would not spare The wife of Dasaratha's heir?"

Then, hissing like a furious snake, The fiend again to Sita spake: "Deaf to all prayers and threats art thou, Devoted to thy senseless vow.

No longer respite will I give, And thou this day shalt cease to live; For I, as sunlight kills the morn, Will slay thee for thy scathe and scorn."

The Rakshas guard was summoned: all The monstrous crew obeyed the call, And hastened to the king to take The orders which he fiercely spake: "See that ye guard her well, and tame, Like some wild thing, the stubborn dame, Until her haughty soul be bent By mingled threat and blandishment."(837)

The monsters heard: away he strode, And pa.s.sed within his queens' abode.

Canto XXIII. The Demons' Threats.

Then round the helpless Sita drew With fiery eyes the hideous crew, And thus a.s.sailed her, all and each, With insult, taunt, and threatening speech: "What! can it be thou prizest not This happy chance, this glorious lot, To be the chosen wife of one So strong and great, Pulastya's son?

Pulastya-thus have sages told- Is mid the Lords of Life(838) enrolled.

Lord Brahma's mind-born son was he, Fourth of that glorious company.

Visravas from Pulastya sprang,- Through all the worlds his glory rang.

And of Visravas, large-eyed dame!

Our king the mighty Rava? came.

His happy consort thou mayst be: Scorn not the words we say to thee."

One awful demon, fiery-eyed, Stood by the Maithil queen and cried: 'Come and be his, if thou art wise, Who smote the sovereign of the skies, And made the thirty G.o.ds and three,(839) O'ercome in furious battle, flee.

Thy lover turns away with scorn From wives whom grace and youth adorn.

Thou art his chosen consort, thou Shall be his pride and darling now."

Another, Vikata by name, In words like these addressed the dame: "The king whose blows, in fury dealt, The Nagas(840) and Gandharvas(841) felt, In battle's fiercest brunt subdued, Has stood by thee and humbly wooed.

And wilt thou in thy folly miss The glory of a love like this?

Scared by his eye the sun grows chill, The wanderer wind is hushed and still.

The rains at his command descend, And trees with new-blown blossoms bend.

His word the hosts of demons fear, And wilt thou, dame, refuse to hear?

Be counselled; with his will comply, Or, lady, thou shalt surely die."

Canto XXIV. Sita's Reply.

Still with reproaches rough and rude Those fiends the gentle queen pursued: "What! can so fair a life displease, To dwell with him in joyous ease?

Dwell in his bowers a happy queen In silk and gold and jewels' sheen?

Still must thy woman fancy cling To Rama and reject our king?

Die in thy folly, or forget That wretched wandering anch.o.r.et.