WATER-FETCHING goes the noble

Brahmin's wife, so pure and lovely;
He is honour'd, void of blemish.

And of justice rigid, stern.
Daily from the sacred river

Brings she back refreshments precious;--
But where is the pail and pitcher?

She of neither stands in need.
For with pure heart, hands unsullied,

She the water lifts, and rolls it
To a wondrous ball of crystal

This she bears with gladsome bosom,
Modestly, with graceful motion,

To her husband in the house.
She to-day at dawn of morning

Praying comes to Ganges' waters,
Bends her o'er the glassy surface--

Sudden, in the waves reflected,
Flying swiftly far above her,

From the highest heavens descending,
She discerns the beauteous form

Of a youth divine, created
By the God's primeval wisdom

In his own eternal breast.
When she sees him, straightway feels she

Wondrous, new, confused sensations
In her inmost, deepest being;

Fain she'd linger o'er the vision,
Then repels it,--it returneth,--

And, perplex'd, she bends her flood-wards
With uncertain hands to draw it;

But, alas, she draws no more!
For the water's sacred billows

Seem to fly, to hasten from her;
She but sees the fearful chasm

Of a whirlpool black disclosed.
Arms drop down, and footsteps stumble,

Can this be the pathway homewards?
Shall she fly, or shall she tarry?

Can she think, when thought and counsel,
When assistance all are lost?

So before her spouse appears she--
On her looks he--look is judgment--

Proudly on the sword he seizes,
To the hill of death he drags her,

Where delinquents' blood pays forfeit.
What resistance could she offer?

What excuses could she proffer,
Guilty, knowing not her guilt?

And with bloody sword returns he,
Musing, to his silent dwelling,

When his son before him stands:
"Whose this blood? Oh, father! father!"

"The delinquent woman's!"--"Never!
For upon the sword it dries not,

Like the blood of the delinquent;
Fresh it flows, as from the wound.

Mother! mother! hitherhasten!
Unjust never was my father,

Tell me what he now hath done."--
"Silence! silence! hers the blood is!"

"Whose, my father?"--"Silence! Silence!"
"What! oh what! my mother's blood!

What her crime? What did she? Answer!
Now, the sword! the sword now hold I;

Thou thy wife perchance might'st slaughter,
But my mother might'st not slay!

Through the flames the wife is able
Her belovedspouse to follow,

And his dear and only mother
Through the sword her faithful son."

"Stay! oh stay!" exclaim'd the father:
"Yet 'tis time, so hasten, hasten!

Join the head upon the body,
With the sword then touch the figure,

And, alive she'll follow thee."
Hastening, he, with breathless wonder,

Sees the bodies of two women
Lying crosswise, and their heads too;

Oh, what horror! which to choose!
Then his mother's head he seizes,--

Does not kiss it, deadly pale 'tis,--
On the nearest headless body

Puts it quickly, and then blesses
With the sword the pious work.

Then the giant form uprises,--
From the dear lips of his mother,

Lips all god-like--changeless--blissful,
Sound these words with horror fraught:

"Son, oh son! what overhast'ning!
Yonder is thy mother's body,

Near it lies the impious head
Of the woman who hath fallen

Victim to the judgment-sword!
To her body I am grafted

By thy hand for endless ages;
Wise in counsel, wild in action,

I shall be amongst the gods.
E'en the heav'nly boy's own image,

Though in eye and brow so lovely,
Sinking downwards to the bosom

Mad and raging lust will stir.
"'Twill return again for ever,

Ever rising, ever sinking,
Now obscured, and now transfigur'd,--

So great Brama hath ordain'd.
He 'twas sent the beauteous pinions,

Radiant face and slender members
Of the only God-begotten,

That I might be proved and tempted;
For from high descends temptation,

When the gods ordain it so.
And so I, the Brahmin woman,

With my head in Heaven reclining,
Must experience, as a Pariah,

The debasing power of earth.
Son, I send thee to thy father!

Comfort him! Let no sad penance,
Weak delay, or thought of merit,

Hold thee in the desert fast
Wander on through ev'ry nation,

Roam abroad throughout all ages,
And proclaim to e'en the meanest,

That great Brama hears his cry!
"None is in his eyes the meanest--

He whose limbs are lame and palsied,
He whose soul is wildly riven,

Worn with sorrow, hopeless, helpless,
Be he Brahmin, be he Pariah,

If tow'rd heaven he turns his gaze,
Will perceive, will learn to know it:

Thousand eyes are glowing yonder,
Thousand ears are calmly list'ning,

From which nought below is hid.
"If I to his throne soar upward,

If he sees my fearful figure
By his might transform'd to horror,

He for ever will lament it,--
May it to your good be found!

And I now will kindly warn him,
And I now will madly tell him

Whatsoe'er my mind conceiveth,
What within my bosom heaveth.

But my thoughts, my inmost feelings--
Those a secret shall remain."

1821.
-----

III. THE PARIAH'S THANKS.
MIGHTY Brama, now I'll bless thee!

'Tis from thee that worlds proceed!
As my ruler I confess thee,

For of all thou takest heed.
All thy thousand ears thou keepest

Open to each child of earth;
We, 'mongst mortals sunk the deepest,

Have from thee received new birth.
Bear in mind the woman's story,

Who, through grief, divine became;
Now I'll wait to view His glory,

Who omnipotence can claim.
1821.

-----
DEATH-LAMENT OF THE NOBLE WIFE OF ASAN AGA.

[From the Morlack.)
WHAT is yonder white thing in the forest?

Is it snow, or can it swans perchance be?
Were it snow, ere this it had been melted,

Were it swans, they all away had hastend.
Snow, in truth, it is not, swans it is not,

'Tis the shining tents of Asan Aga.
He within is lying, sorely wounded;

To him come his mother and his sister;
Bashfully his wife delays to come there.

When the torment of his wounds had lessen'd,
To his faithful wife he sent this message:

"At my court no longer dare to tarry,
At my court, or e'en amongst my people."

When the woman heard this cruel message,
Mute and full of sorrow stood that true one.

At the doors she hears the feet of horses,
And bethinks that Asan comes--her husband,

To the tower she springs, to leap thence headlong,
Her two darling daughters follow sadly,

And whilstweeping bitter tears, exclaim they:
These are not our father Asan's horses;

'Tis thy brother Pintorowich coming!"
So the wife of Asan turns to meet him,

Clasps her arms in anguish round her brother:
"See thy sister's sad disgrace, oh brother!

How I'm banish'd--mother of five children!"
Silently her brother from his wallet,

Wrapp'd in deep red-silk, and ready written,
Draweth forth the letter of divorcement,

To return home to her mother's dwelling,
Free to be another's wife thenceforward.

When the woman saw that mournful letter,
Fervently she kiss'd her two sons' foreheads,

And her two girls' cheeks with fervour kiss'd she,
But she from the suckling in the cradle

Could not tear herself, so deep her sorrow!
So she's torn thence by her fiery brother,

• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)
• graceful [´greisfəl] a.优美的，流畅的 (初中英语单词)
• swiftly [´swiftli] ad.迅速地，敏捷地 (初中英语单词)
• divine [di´vain] a.神圣的 v.预言 (初中英语单词)
• eternal [i´tə:nəl] a.永远的；永恒的 (初中英语单词)
• linger [´liŋgə] v.逗留；留恋；拖延 (初中英语单词)
• uncertain [ʌn´sə:tn] a.不定的；不可靠的 (初中英语单词)
• hasten [´heisən] vt.催促；促进 vi.赶紧 (初中英语单词)
• fearful [´fiəfəl] a.可怕的；担心的 (初中英语单词)
• assistance [ə´sistəns] n.协作；援助；帮助 (初中英语单词)
• resistance [ri´zistəns] n.抵抗；抵制；耐力 (初中英语单词)
• knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)
• bloody [´blʌdi] a.(流)血的；血腥的 (初中英语单词)
• hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)
• beloved [bi´lʌvd] a.为....所爱的 n.爱人 (初中英语单词)
• faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)
• deadly [´dedli] a.致命的 ad.死一般地 (初中英语单词)
• horror [´hɔrə] n.恐怖；战栗 (初中英语单词)
• counsel [´kaunsəl] n.商议；劝告；律师 (初中英语单词)
• slender [´slendə] a.细长的；微薄的 (初中英语单词)
• abroad [ə´brɔ:d] ad.海外；到处；广泛 (初中英语单词)
• proclaim [prə´kleim] vt.宣布；公布；声明 (初中英语单词)
• perceive [pə´si:v] vt.察觉；看出；领悟 (初中英语单词)
• calmly [´kɑ:mli] ad.平静地；无风浪地 (初中英语单词)
• confess [kən´fes] vt.供认；坦白；承认 (初中英语单词)
• thence [ðens] ad.从那里；因此 (初中英语单词)
• darling [´dɑ:liŋ] n.爱人 a.亲爱的 (初中英语单词)
• disgrace [dis´greis] n.耻辱 vt.玷辱；贬黜 (初中英语单词)
• straightway [´streitwei] ad.立刻 (高中英语单词)
• breathless [´breθlis] a.屏息的 (高中英语单词)
• amongst [ə´mʌŋst] prep.其中之一 =among (高中英语单词)
• ordain [ɔ:´dein] v.规定；颁布命令 (高中英语单词)
• hopeless [´həupləs] a.无望的，无可救药的 (高中英语单词)
• throne [θrəun] n.宝座；王位 (高中英语单词)
• lament [lə´ment] v.哀悼 n.哀悼；恸哭 (高中英语单词)
• torment [´tɔ:ment] vt.(使)痛苦，折磨 (高中英语单词)
• whilst [wailst] conj.当...时候；虽然 (高中英语单词)
• anguish [´æŋgwiʃ] n.(极度的)痛苦；苦恼 (高中英语单词)
• wondrous [´wʌndrəs] a.极好的 ad.惊人地 (英语四级单词)
• pathway [´pɑ:θwei] n.小路 (英语四级单词)
• perchance [pə´tʃɑ:ns] ad.偶然；可能 (英语四级单词)
• downwards [´daunwədz] ad.向下，以下 (英语四级单词)
• nought [nɔ:t] n.=naught (英语四级单词)
• mournful [´mɔ:nful] a.令人沮丧的 (英语四级单词)
• glassy [´glɑ:si] a.光滑的；无神的 (英语六级单词)
• beauteous [´bju:tiəs] a.美的，美丽的 (英语六级单词)
• spouse [spauz] n.配偶 (英语六级单词)
• impious [´impiəs] a.不敬的；不孝的 (英语六级单词)
• sorely [´sɔ:li] ad.痛苦地；剧烈地 (英语六级单词)
• weeping [´wi:piŋ] a.&n.哭泣(的) (英语六级单词)