Kalidasa

“ Priyamvada. Shakuntala, we have watered the trees that blossom in the summer-time. Now let's sprinkle those whose flowering-time is past. That will be a better deed, because we shall not be working for a reward.
Shakuntala. What a pretty idea! (She does so.)
King (to himself) . And this is Kanva's daughter, Shakuntala. (In surprise.) The good Father does wrong to make her wear the hermit's dress of bark.
The sage who yokes her artless charm
With pious pain and grief,
Would try to cut the toughest vine
With a soft, blue lotus-leaf. ”

“ O Mádhavya, when persons accused of great offences prove wholly innocent, see how their accusers are punished!—A phrensy obstructed my remembrance of any former love for the daughter of the sage; and now the heart-born god, who delights in giving pain, has fixed in his bow-string a new shaft pointed with the blossom of an Amra.—The fatal ring having restored my memory, see me deplore with tears of repentance the loss of my best beloved, whom I rejected without cause; see me overwhelmed with sorrow, even while the return of spring fills the hearts of all others with pleasure. ”

“ KANWA. [Sighing.
Well, Anasúyá, your sister has departed. Moderate your grief, both of you, and follow me, I go back to the hermitage.
PRIYAMVADÁ AND ANASÚYÁ. Holy father, the sacred grove will be a desert without
[S'] akoontalá. How can we ever return to it?
KANWA. It is natural enough that your affection should make you view it in this light.
[Walking pensively on.]
As for me, I am quite surprised at myself. Now that I have fairly dismissed her to her husband's house, my mind is easy; for, indeed,
A daughter is a loan—a precious jewel
Lent to a parent till her husband claim her. ”

“ All-knowing Indra, deign, my Prince, to tell
Thy heart's desire in earth, or heaven, or hell:
Double the favour, mighty sovereign, thou
Hast thought on Káma, O, command him now:
Who angers thee by toiling for the prize,
By penance, prayer, or holy sacrifice?
What mortal being dost thou count thy foe?
Speak, I will tame him with my darts and bow.
Has some one feared the endless change of birth,
And sought the path that leads the soul from earth?
Slave to a glancing eye thy foe shall bow,
And own the witchery of a woman's brow ”

“ The King of Elephants should bear thy weight:
How wilt thou brook the mockery and the scorn
When thou on Siva's Bull art meanly borne?
⁠Sad that the crescent Moon his crest should be,—
And shall that mournful fate be shared by thee?
His crest, the glory of the evening skies,
His bride, the moonlight of our wondering eyes!
⁠Deformed is he—his ancestry unknown,
By vilest garb his poverty is shown;
fawn-eyed Lady, how should Siva gain
That heart for which the glorious strive in vain?
No charms hath he to win a maiden's eye,
Cease from thy Penance, hush the fruitless sigh! ”

“ Dushm. What! Do people gaze at the new moon, with uplifted heads and fixed eyes, from a hope of possessing it? But you must know, that the heart of Dushmanta is not fixed on an object which he must for ever dispair of attaining.
Mádh. Tell me how.
Dushm. She is the daughter of a pious prince and warriour, by a celestial nymph; and, her mother having left her on earth, she has been fostered by Canna, even as a fresh blossom of Malati, which droops on its pendant stalk, is raised and expanded by the sun's tight. ”

“ KANWA. Blessings on thee, my child! May all my hopes of thee be realized!
[S'] AKOONTALÁ [Approaching her friends.
Come, my two loved companions, embrace me both of you together.
PRIYAMVADÁ AND ANASÚYÁ. [Embracing her.
Dear [S'] akoontalá, remember, if the King should by any chance be slow in recognizing you, you have only to show him this ring, on which his own name is engraved.
[S'] AKOONTALÁ. The bare thought of it puts me in a tremor.
PRIYAMVADÁ AND ANASÚYÁ. There is no real cause for fear, dearest. Excessive affection is too apt to suspect evil where none exists. ”

“ Sharngarava, my son, Shakuntala is following us, lamenting piteously. What can the poor child do with a husband base enough to reject her?
Sharngarava (turns angrily) . You self-willed girl! Do you dare show independence? (SHAKUNTALA shrinks in fear.) Listen.
If you deserve such scorn and blame,
What will your father with your shame?
But if you know your vows are pure,
Obey your husband and endure.
Remain. We must go.
King. Hermit, why deceive this woman? Remember:
Night-blossoms open to the moon,
Day-blossoms to the sun;
A man of honour ever strives
Another's wife to shun. ”

“ Vain every hope, and every effort vain;
E'en as life fled, a keen but flowery dart
Young Love, the Archer, aimed at Siva's heart;
The God in anger hurled the shaft away,
But deep in Uma's tender soul it lay;
Alas, poor Maid! she knows no comfort now.
Her soul's on fire—her wild locks hide her brow;
She quits her father's halls, and frenzied roves
The icy mountain and the lonely groves;
⁠Oft as the Maidens of the Minstrel throng
To hymn great Siva's praises raised the song,
The lovelorn Lady's sobs and deep-drawn sighs
Drew tears of pity from their gentle eyes. ”

“ On his bright bow Love placed the unerring dart,
The soft beguiler of the stricken heart.
Like the Moon's influence on the sea at rest,
Came passion stealing o'er the Hermit's breast,
While on the maiden's lip that mocked the dye
Of ripe red fruit, he bent his melting eye.
And oh! how showed the lady's love for him,
The heaving bosom, and each quivering limb!
Like young Kadambas, when the leaf-buds swell,
At the warm touch of Spring they love so well.
But still, with downcast eyes, she sought the ground,
And durst not turn their burning glances round. ”

“ Gen. [Aside, looking at Dushmanta.] How comes it that hunting, which moralists reckon a vice, should be a virtue in the eyes of a king? Thence it is, no doubt, that our emperor, occupied in perpetual toil, and inured to constant heat, is become so lean, that the sunbeams hardly affect him; while he is so tall, that he looks to us little men, like an elephant grazing on a mountain: he seems all soul.— [Aloud, approaching the king.] —May our monarch ever be victorious! This forest, O king, is infested by beasts of prey; we see the traces of their huge feet in every path. ”

“ How delightful is the season when the jasmine-creeper and the mango-tree seem thus to unite in mutual embraces! The fresh blossoms of the jasmine resemble the bloom of a young bride, and the newly-formed shoots of the mango appear to make it her natural protector.
[Continues gazing at it.
PRIYAMVADÁ. Do you know, my Anasúyá, why [S'] akoontalá gazes so intently at the jasmine?
ANASÚYÁ. No, indeed, I cannot imagine. I pray thee tell me.
PRIYAMVADÁ. She is wishing that as the jasmine is united to a suitable tree, so, in like manner, she may obtain a husband worthy of her. ”

“ Surely, she is the daughter of the nymph.
Anusuya. Yes.
King. It is as it should be.
To beauty such as this
No woman could give birth;
The quivering lightning flash
Is not a child of earth.
(SHAKUNTALA hangs her head in confusion.) King (to himself) . Ah, my wishes become hopes.
Priyamvada (looking with a smile at SHAKUNTALA) . Sir, it seems as if you had more to say. (SHAKUNTALA threatens her friend with her finger.)
King. You are right. Your pious life interests me, and I have another question.
Priyamvada. Do not hesitate. We hermit people stand ready to answer all demands. ”

“ Already with the Gods thy father dwells;—
A husband, Lady?—forbear the thought,
A priceless jewel seeks not, but is sought.
Maiden, thy deep sighs tell me it is so,
Yet, doubtful still, my spirit seeks to know
Couldst thou e'er love in vain?—What heart so cold
That hath not eagerly its worship told?
Ah! could the cruel loved one, thou fair Maid,
Look with indifference on that bright hair's braid?
Thy locks are hanging loosely o'er thy brow.
Thine ear is shaded by no Lotus now!
See, where the Sun hath scorched that tender neck
Which precious jewels once were proud to deck. ”

“ KANWA. My daughter,
It is the little fawn, thy foster-child,
Poor helpless orphan! it remembers well
How with a mother's tenderness and love
Thou didst protect it, and with grains of rice
From thine own hand didst daily nourish it;
And, ever and anon, when some sharp thorn
Had pierced its mouth, how gently thou didst tend
The bleeding wound, and pour in healing balm.
The grateful nursling clings to its protectress,
Mutely imploring leave to follow her.
[S'] AKOONTALÁ. My poor little fawn! dost thou ask to follow an ungrateful wretch who hesitates not to desert her companions! ”

“ Her aching heart close, close to thy dear breast.
Lay, Indra, lay thy threatening bolt aside:
My gentle darts shall tame the haughtiest pride,
And all that war with heaven and thee shall know
The magic influence of thy Káma's bow;
For woman's curling lip shall bow them down,
Fainting in terror at her threatening frown.
Flowers are my arms, mine only warrior Spring,
Yet in thy favour am I strong, great King.
What can their strength who draw the bow avail
Against my matchless power when I assail?
Strong is the Trident-bearing God, yet he,
The mighty Śiva, e'en, must yield to me. ”

“ Mount, therefore, with me, the car of Indra, and, grasping thy bow, advance to assured victory.
Dushm. Such a mark of distinction from the prince of good genii honours me highly; but say why you treated so roughly my poor friend Mádhavya.
Mát. Perceiving that, for some reason or another, you were grievously afflicted, I was desirous to rouse your spirits by provoking you to wrath.—The fire blazes when wood is thrown on it; the serpent, when provoked, darts his head against the assailant; and a man capable of acquiring glory, exerts himself when his courage is excited. ”

“ Tempt not the lotus-flowers that bloom by day.
The King of Shurasena has no better fortune, in spite of his virtues and his wealth. As a river hurrying to the sea passes by a mountain that would detain her, so the princess passes him by. She is next introduced to the king of the Kalinga country;
His palace overlooks the ocean dark
With windows gazing on the unresting deep,
Whose gentle thunders drown the drums that mark
The hours of night, and wake him from his sleep.
But the maiden can no more feel at home with him than the goddess of fortune can with a good but unlucky man. ”

“ A father's heart should grieve not, but rejoice.
Her Lord is Father of the World, and she
Of all that liveth shall the Mother be;
Gods that adore him with the Neck of Blue
In homage bent shall hail the Lady too;
And give a glory to her feet with gems
That sparkle in their priceless diadems.
⁠Hear what a roll shall blazon forth thy line,—
Maid, Father, Suitor, Messengers divine!
Give him the chosen Lady, and aspire
To call thy Son the Universe's Sire —
He laudeth none but all mankind shall raise
To Him through endless time the songs of praise. ”

“ They came; the Sun presents a silken shade
Which heaven's own artist for the God had made,
Gilding his brows, as though bright Gangá rolled
Adown his holy head her waves of gold.
She in her Goddess-shape divinely fair,
And Yamuná, sweet river-Nymph, were there,
Fanning their Lord, that fancy still might deem
Swans waved their pinions round each Lady of the Stream.
E'en Brahmá came, Creator, Lord of Might,
And Vishṇu glowing from the realms of light.
"Ride on," they cried, "thine, thine for ever be
The strength, the glory, and the victory." ”

“ ANASÚYÁ. Know that he is the real father of our friend. The venerable Kanwa is only her reputed father. He it was who brought her up, when she was deserted by her mother.
KING. 'Deserted by her mother!' My curiosity is excited; pray let me hear the story from the beginning.
ANASÚYÁ. You shall hear it, Sir. Some time since, this sage of regal caste, while performing a most severe penance on the banks of the river Godávarí, excited the jealousy and alarm of the gods; insomuch that they despatched a lovely nymph named Menaká to interrupt his devotions. ”

“ O my darling, whom I treated with disrespect, and forsook without reason, when will this traitor, whose heart is deeply stung with repentant sorrow, be once more blessed with a sight of thee?
A Damsel enters with a picture.
Dams. Great king, the picture is finished.
[Holding it before him. Dushm. [Gazing on it.] Yes; that is her face; those are her beautiful eyes; those her lips embellished with smiles, and surpassing the red lustre of the Carcandhu fruit; her mouth seems, though painted, to speak, and her conntenance darts beams of affection blended with a variety of melting tints. ”

“ He vainly asks help of the creatures whom he meets: a peacock, a cuckoo, a swan, a ruddy goose, a bee, an elephant, a mountain-echo, a river, and an antelope. At last he finds a brilliant ruby in a cleft of the rocks, and when about to throw it away, is told by a hermit to preserve it: for this is the gem of reunion, and one who possesses it will soon be reunited with his love. With the gem in his hand, Pururavas comes to a vine which mysteriously reminds him of Urvashi, and when he embraces it, he finds his beloved in his arms. ”

“ MÁTALI. [Smiling.
Great Prince, hear on what errand Indra sent me into your presence.
KING. I am all attention.
MÁTALI. There is a race of giants, the descendants of Kálanemi [103] , whom the gods find it difficult to subdue.
KING. So I have already heard from Nárada [104] .
MÁTALI. Heaven's mighty lord, who deigns to call thee 'friend,'
Appoints thee to the post of highest honour,
As leader of his armies; and commits
The subjugation of this giant brood
To thy resistless arms, e'en as the sun
Leaves the pale moon to dissipate the darkness. ”

“ Can you hold a council in a wood? I, who am a reverend Bráhmen, have no longer the use of my hands and feet: they are put out of joint by my running all day long after dogs and wild beasts. Favour me, I entreat, with your permission to repose but a single day.
Dushm. [Aside.] Such are this poor fellow's complaints; whilst I, when I think of Canna's daughter, have as little relish for hunting as he; how can I brace this bow, and fix a shaft in the string, to shoot at those beautiful deer who dwell in the same groves with my beloved, and whose eyes derive lustre from hers? ”

“ To knit great Śiva to the Mountain-Maid,
When Káma's spirit that had swooned in fear
Breathed once again and deemed forgiveness near.
The ancient Sages reverently adored
The world's great Father and its Sovran Lord,
And while a soft ecstatic thrilling ran
O'er their celestial frames, they thus began:
"Glorious the fruit our holy studies bear,
Our constant penance, sacrifice and prayer.
For that high place within thy thoughts we gain
Which fancy strives to reach, but longs in vain.
How blest is he, the glory of the wise,
Deep in whose thoughtful breast thy Godhead lies! ”

“ All things that move, and all that move not, sprung;
Before thy triple form they wondering bow,
Maker, preserver, and destroyer, Thou!
⁠Thou, when a longing urged thee to create,
Thy single form in twain didst separate;
The Sire, the Mother that made all things be
By their first union were but parts of Thee;
From them the life that fills this earthly frame,
And fruitful Nature, self-renewing, came.
⁠Thou countest not thy time by mortals' light.
With Thee there is but one vast day and night;
When Brahma slumbers fainting Nature dies,
When Brahma wakens all again arise. ”