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199

Basti Singh's Wife

[_]

(A Bihari Mill Song.)

1.

Basti Singh's wife, shredding betel—betel-leaf, and cloves, and spices—
Mixed a savoury mess, and made it rich and fragrant; —Huriji!
Husking paddy, husking sâthi, boiled and strained the steaming rices,
Poured the dall and conjee on it: so, 'tis ready!—Huriji!

2.

“Mother-in-law! beside me sitting, is it fitting if I carry
To my husband's elder brother food to eat now?”—Huriji!
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“Daughter-in-law! fold close thy sari over face and neck, nor tarry;
Bare thy hands alone in serving Basti's brother.”—Huriji!

3.

Sitting down to eat, he marked her, Basti's brother marked her beauty,
Evil eyes from feet to forehead wandering, pondering.—Huriji!
“Elder brother of my husband! I have surely failed of duty;
Too much salt unto the conjee have I added?”—Huriji!

4.

“Too much salt thou hast not added, fair wife of my younger brother!
Nor in aught hast failed of duty, thou with dove's eyes!”—Huriji!
At the dawn they beat the big drums—“Ho! let all the people gather,
Small and great, to see the hunting of the sleek deer”—Huriji!
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5.

Deer they killed, and hares, and peacocks, shooting hard with arrows sharpened,
Basti's brother pierced his brother with an arrow;—Huriji!
“Mother-in-law, beside me seated, what calamity hath happened?”
See! the spangle on my forehead to the earth falls!”—Huriji!

6.

“Daughter-in-law! say no such evil! speak no word of ill-betiding!
Basti Singh has gone a-hunting; have thou patience!”—Huriji!
Hark! the tramping, and the champing! all the riders homewards riding!
Only Basti's horse returning riderless, ah!—Huriji!

7.

Look! the bright swords in each scabbard! Look! the arrows in each quiver!
202

Only Basti's sword and quiver soaked with black blood!—Huriji!
At the first watch, comes in darkness to her hut-door by the river
Basti's elder brother knocking, softly knocking:—Huriji!

8.

“If you be a jackal prowling, if you be a dog at pillage,
If you be the village people, get you hence now!”—Huriji!
“Nay, no dog or jackal am I; nor the people of the village;
I am Basti Singh the Rajpoot; fair wife open!”—Huriji!

9.

“Liar! that is not my Lord's voice! Thou hast slain him! Quick! confess it!
Where, thou liar? how, thou liar? by what tree, now?”—Huriji!
“Yes! I slew him in the jungle—for thy sweet love, I profess it!
Underneath a twisted sandal lies his body!”—Huriji!
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10.

“Show me!” “Nay!” he said, “but only, Basti's widow! if thou swearest
Thou wilt keep his bed-place for me at thy soft side”—Huriji!
“Oh, my husband's elder brother! if his death-place thou declarest,
This I swear, none else shall have it—show me! show me!”—Huriji!

11.

All beneath the eyes of midnight, under peepul trees which listen,
Over plain, and down the nullah, through the river,—Huriji!
On the road with horse-hoofs dinted, by the paths where blood-drops glisten,
To the twisted tree he led her:“Look! thy Husband!”—Huriji!

12.

“Oh, my Husband's elder brother! oh, thou Slayer! oh, thou Liar!
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Fetch me flame, the while I build the pile for burning:”—Huriji!
“Swear, once more, none else shall have you, if I go to fetch you fire.”
“Yea! I swear!” said Basti's widow, building, building—Huriji!

13.

Hasten! hasten! Basti's brother! She hath laid him, bold and lonely,
On the dry wood! She hath mounted! From her breast-cloth,—Huriji!
She hath drawn hid fire and set it. Haste not! there are ashes only
Left of Basti Singh the Rajpoot, and his true wife—Huriji!
But all the tears of all the eyes
Find room in Gunga's bed:
And all the sorrow is gone to-morrow
When the scarlet flames have fed.
 

“Sixty-day rice.”

A Hindoo wife may converse unveiled and freely with the younger brothers of her husband, but not with the elder brothers.

The tikuli, a spot of red, white, or yellow paint placed on the forehead. It is a very bad omen to have it come off.

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