The Hindu wife and the hymns :: :: University of Virginia Library

The Hindu wife and the hymns

By Sir William Jones ... Second edition [by William Jones]

Jones, William (1746-1794)

[section]

THE ENCHANTED FRUIT;

A HYMN TO CAMDEO.

TWO HYMNS TO PRACRITI.

THE HYMN TO DURGA

II.

III.

IV.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

THE FIRST NEMEAN ODE OF PINDAR.

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THE HYMN TO DURGA

I. 1.

From thee begins the solemn air,
Ador'd Ganesa; next, thy sire we praise
(Him, from whose red clust'ring hair
A new-born crescent sheds propitious rays,
Fair as Ganga's curling foam),
Dread Iswara; who lov'd o'er awful mountains,
Rapt in prescience deep, to roam,
But chiefly those, whence holy rivers gush,
Bright from their secret fountains,
And o'er the realms of Brahma rush.

I. 2.

Rock above rock they ride sublime,
And lose their summits in blue fields of day,
Fashion'd first, when rolling time,
Vast infant, in his golden cradle lay,
Bidding endless ages run
And wreath their giant heads in snows eternal
Gilt by each revolving sun;
Though neither morning beam, nor noontide glare,
In wintry sign or vernal,
Their adamantine strength impair;

I. 3.

Nor e'en the fiercest summer heat
Could thrill the palace, where their Monarch reign'd
On his frost-impearled seat,
(Such height had unremitted virtue gain'd!)
Himalaya, to whom a lovely child,
Sweet Parvati, sage Mena bore,
Who now, in earliest bloom, saw heav'n adore
Her charms; earth languish, till she smil'd.

II. 1.

But she to love no tribute paid;
Great Iswara her pious cares engag'd:
Him, who Gods and fiends dismay'd,
She sooth'd with off'rings meek, when most he rag'd.
On a morn, when, edg'd with light,
The lake-born flow'rs their sapphire cups expanded
Laughing at the scatter'd night,
A vale remote and silent pool she sought,
Smooth-footed, lotos-handed,
And braids of sacred blossoms wrought;

II. 2.

Not for her neck, which, unadorn'd,
Bade envying antelopes their beauties hide:
Art she knew not, or she scorn'd;
Nor had her language e'en a name for pride.
To the God, who, fix'd in thought,
Sat in a crystal cave new worlds designing,
Softly sweet her gift she brought,
And spread the garland o'er his shoulders broad,
Where serpents huge lay twining,
Whose hiss the round creation aw'd.

II. 3.

He view'd, half-smiling, half-severe,
The prostrate maid—That moment through the rocks
He, who decks the purple year,
Vasanta, vain of odorif'rous locks,

With Cama, hors'd on infant breezes flew:
(Who knows not Cama, nature's king?)
Vasanta barb'd the shaft and fix'd the string;
The living bow Candarpa drew.

III. 1.

Dire sacrilege! The chosen reed,
That Smara pointed with transcendent art,
Glanc'd with unimagin'd speed,
And ting'd its blooming barb in Siva's heart:
Glorious flow'r, in heav'n proclaim'd
Rich Mellicà, with balmy breath delicious,
And on earth Nyctanthes nam'd!
Some drops divine, that o'er the lotos blue
Trickled in rills auspicious,
Still mark it with a crimson hue.

III. 2.

Soon clos'd the wound its hallow'd lips;
But nature felt the pain: heav'n's blazing eye
Sank absorb'd in sad eclipse,
And meteors rare betray'd the trembling sky;
When a flame, to which compar'd
The keenest lightnings were but idle flashes,
From that orb all-piercing glar'd,
Which in the front of wrathful Hara rolls,
And soon to silver ashes
Reduc'd th' inflamer of our souls.

III. 3.

Vasant, for thee a milder doom,
Accomplice rash, a thund'ring voice decreed;
‘With'ring live in joyless gloom,
While ten gay signs the dancing seasons lead.
Thy flow'rs, perennial once, now annual made,
The Fish and Ram shall still adorn;
But, when the Bull has rear'd his golden horn,
Shall, like yon idling rainbow, fade.’

IV. 1.

The thunder ceas'd; the day return'd;
But Siva from terrestrial haunts had fled:
Smit with rapt'rous love he burn'd,
And sigh'd on gemm'd Cailása's viewless head.
Lonely down the mountain steep,
With flutt'ring heart, soft Parvati descended;
Nor in drops of nectar'd sleep
Drank solace through the night, but lay alarm'd,
Lest her mean gifts offended
The God her pow'rful beauty charm'd.

IV. 2.

All arts her sorr'wing damsels tried,
Her brow, where wrinkled anguish low'r'd, to smoothe,
And, her troubled soul to soothe,
Sagacious Mena mild reproof applied;
But nor art nor counsel sage,
Nor e'en her sacred parent's tender chiding,
Could her only pain assuage:
The mountain drear she sought, in mantling shade
Her tears and transports hiding,
And oft to her adorer pray'd.

IV. 3.

There on a crag, whose icy rift
Hurl'd night and horror o'er the pool profound,
That with madding eddy swift
Revengeful bark'd his rugged base around,
The beauteous hermit sat; but soon perceiv'd
A Bráhmen old before her stand,
His rude staff quiv'ring in his wither'd hand,
Who, falt'ring, ask'd for whom she griev'd.

V. 1.

‘What graceful youth with accents mild,
Eyes like twin stars, and lips like early morn,
Has thy pensive heart beguil'd?’
“No mortal youth,” she said with modest scorn,

E'er beguil'd my guiltless heart:
Him have I lost, who to these mountains hoary
Bloom celestial could impart.
Thee I salute, thee ven'rate, thee deplore,
Dread Siva, source of glory,
Which on these rocks must gleam no more!”

V. 2.

‘Rare object of a damsel's love,’
The wizard bold replied, ‘who, rude and wild,
Leaves eternal bliss above,
And roves o'er wastes where nature never smil'd,
Mounted on his milkwhite bull!
Seek Indra with aërial bow victorious,
Who from vases ever full
Quaffs love and nectar; seek the festive hall,
Rich caves, and mansion glorious
Of young Cuvera, lov'd by all;

V. 3.

But spurn that sullen wayward God,
That three-ey'd monster, hideous, fierce, untam'd,
Unattir'd, ill-girt, unshod—
Such fell impiety, the nymph exclaim'd,
Who speaks, must agonize; who hears, must die;
Nor can this vital frame sustain
The pois'nous taint, that runs from vein to vein;
Death may atone the blasphemy.’

VI. 1.

She spoke, and o'er the rifted rocks
Her lovely form with pious phrensy threw;
But beneath her floating locks
And waving robes a thousand breezes flew,
Knitting close their silky plumes,
And in mid-air a downy pillow spreading;
Till, in clouds of rich perfumes
Embalmed, they bore her to a mystic wood;

Where streams of glory shedding,
The well-feign'd Bráhmen, Siva stood.

VI. 2.

The rest, my song conceal:
Unhallow'd ears the sacrilege might rue.
Gods alone to Gods reveal
In what stupendous notes th' immortals woo.
Straight the sons of light prepar'd
The nuptial feast, heav'n's opal gates unfolding,
Which th' empyreal army shar'd;
And sage Himalaya shed blissful tears
With aged eyes beholding
His daughter empress of the spheres.

VI. 3.

Whilst ev'ry lip with nectar glow'd,
The bridegroom blithe his transformation told:
Round the mirthful goblets flow'd,
And laughter free o'er plains of ether roll'd:
‘Thee too, like Vishnu, said the blushing queen
Soft Maya, guileful maid, attends;
But in delight supreme the phantasm ends;
Love crowns the visionary scene.’

VII. 1.

Then rose Vrihaspati, who reigns
Beyond red Mangala's terrific sphere,
Wand'ring o'er cerulean plains:
His periods eloquent heav'n loves to hear
Soft as dew on waking flow'rs.
He told, how Taraca with snaky legions,
Envious of supernal pow'rs,
Had menac'd long old Meru's golden head,
And Indra's beaming regions
With desolation wild had spread:

VII. 2.

How, when the Gods to Brahma flew
In routed squadrons, and his help implor'd;

“Sons, he said, from vengeance due
The fiend must wield secure his fiery sword,
(Thus th' unerring Will ordains),
Till from the Great Destroyer's pure embraces,
Knit in love's mysterious chains
With her, who, daughter to the mountain-king,
Yon snowy mansion graces,
Cumara, warrior-child, shall spring;

VII. 3.

Who, bright in arms of heav'nly proof,
His crest a blazing star, his diamond mail
Colour'd in the rainbow's woof,
The rash invaders fiercely shall assail,
And, on a stately peacock borne, shall rush
Against the dragons of the deep;
Nor shall his thund'ring mace insatiate sleep
Till their infernal chief it crush.”

VIII. 1.

‘The splendid host with solemn state
(Still spoke th' ethereal orator unblam'd)
Reason'd high in long debate;
Till, through my counsel provident, they claim'd
Hapless Cama's potent aid:
At Indra's wish appear'd the soul's inflamer,
And, in vernal arms array'd,
Engag'd (ah, thoughtless!) in the bold emprise
To tame wide nature's tamer,
And soften Him, who shakes the skies.

VIII. 2.

See now the God, whom all ador'd,
An ashy heap, the jest of ev'ry gale!
Loss by heav'n and earth deplor'd!
For, love extinguish'd, earth and heav'n must fail.
Mark, how Reti bears his urn,
And tow'rd her widow'd pile with piercing ditty

Points the flames—ah, see it burn!
How ill the fun'ral with the feast agrees!
Come, love's pale sister, pity;
Come, and the lover's wrath appease.’

VIII. 3.

Tumultuous passions, whilst he spoke,
In heav'nly bosoms mix'd their bursting fire,
Scorning frigid wisdom's yoke,
Disdain, revenge, devotion, hope, desire:
Then grief prevail'd; but pity won the prize.
Not Siva could the charm resist:
‘Rise, holy love!’ he said; and kiss'd
The pearls, that gush'd from Durga's eyes.

IX. 1.

That instant through the blest abode,
His youthful charms renew'd, Ananga came;
High on em'rald plumes he rode
With Reti brighten'd by th' eluded flame;
Nor could young Vasanta mourn
(Officious friend!) his darling lord attending,
Though of annual beauty shorn:
‘Love-shafts enow one season shall supply,
He menac'd unoffending,
To rule the rulers of the sky.’

IX. 2.

With shouts the boundless mansion rang;
And, in sublime accord, the radiant quire
Strains of bridal rapture sang
With glowing conquest join'd and martial ire:
‘Spring to life, triumphant son,
Hell's future dread, and heav'n's eternal wonder!
Helm and flaming habergeon
For thee, behold, immortal artists weave,
And edge with keen blue thunder
The blade, that shall th' oppressor cleave.’

IX. 3.

O Durga, thou hast deign'd to shield
Man's feeble virtue with celestial might,
Gliding from yon jasper field,
And, on a lion borne, hast brav'd the sight;
For, when the demon Vice thy realms defied,
And arm'd with death each arched horn,
Thy golden lance, O goddess mountain-born,
Touch but the pest—He roar'd and died.