As round the isles they whirl; Here troubled by the bathing saints, And there like orient pearl. Look, scattered by the morning breeze, What beds of blossoms lie, And chaplets, cast upon the wave, Are dancing swiftly by. Hark to the wild-duck's merry call, Amid the reeds at play : Hark to the joyous mallard's note Responsive far away. My life in fair Ayodhya's town Was not so sweet to me As gazing on this lovely flood, That glorious hill, and thee. Bathe in the gentle stream, to her, With friendly love, repair, And pluck her lilies in thy play, And twine them in thy hair. This mount, with all its savage life, Ayodhya's city deem, And on this beauteous river look As our own Sarju's stream. O Sita, I am wild with joy, So rare a lot is mine Cheered by a duteous brother's care, And loved with love like thine." THE RAPE OF SITA. "Ravana, finding it in vain to hope to succeed without the aid of stratagem, took with him an assistant sorcerer, disguised as a deer; and as Rama took great pleasure in the chase, it was not difficult for the deer to lure him from his cottage in pursuit. He did not leave his beloved Sita without charging Lakshman, his brother, to remain in charge; but the wily deer knew how to defeat his precaution, and when transfixed by Rama's arrow he cried out in the voice of Rama, "Oh, Lakshman, save me!" Sita heard the cry, and entreated Lakshman to fly to his brother's rescue. He was unwilling to go, but yielded to her earnestness and she was left alone." MRS. SPEIR, Life in Ancient India. As, when the sun and moon their empire leave, His form concealed in roaming Brahman's guise- Far from her guardians, of all aid bereft. All life was husht, and, as the fiend came near, No leaflet stirred, the wind was still through fear; And his red eye held, powerless to flee, Unholy guest in holy guise he came, Close to the side of Rama's mourning dame : Like a dark well with treacherous weeds o'ergrown, Like Saturn when his baleful rays are thrown Upon the fairest star of all the sky. Thus the Night-rover with his evil eye Looked on the lonely lady as she wept Within her leafy home. Awhile he kept Upon the splendour of white teeth, the red Then Ravan cried, pierced by Love's fiery dart : "Speak, marvellous beauty, tell me who thou art: All lonely here, in silken robes arrayed, Wearing a lotus wreath thy brows to shade: What heavenly being do mine eyes behold, Fairer and brighter than the finest gold? Or sweet Desire, young Love's voluptuous queen? Red are thy lips, thy teeth are small and white; Sweet queen, these eyes have never seen till now Sylph, nymph, or Goddess half so fair as thou. This savage wood befits thee, lady, ill, Where wild fiends roam, changing their form at will. On some smooth terrace should thy couch be spread, And priceless gems sparkle upon thy neck; No nymph or gentle spirit seeks to roam; |