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164
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
SEPTEMBER, 1926
11. O golden tendril among the blameless herdsmen
Who milk many herds of cows with calf at foot, And march to war upon foes whose valour perishes in the fight! you whose Mount of Desire is (shaped like the hood of) the snake from the anthill,
O peafowl of the dry-waste ! come out. When all the girl friends of the tribe have como, And in your courtyard are singing the name of Him whose colour is that of the cloud, What means it that you, the cherished wife,
Unmoving and speechless sleep on? El Or, Our Lady. 12. O dear young sister of the rich man, whose bellowing buffalo with young calf,
Her longing thoughts fixed on the calf, stands with trickling udder and the oozing milk Wets the house floor and turns it into mud. We cling to your outer gate, our heads wet with dew, Singing of Him, dear to our hearts, who in wrath destroyed The king of yon southern Ilangai; even so you open not your lips. And now at least arise. How deep your sleep has been !
And those who live around are awake. El Or, Our Lady. 13. All the girls, singing the fame of Him Who tore the bird's mouth, who crushed the heads of, and destroyed, the evil-doi ng
Raksasa (Ravana). Have reached the place where the images are set up. Venus has risen and Jupiter has gone to rest; Listen how the birds sing, you whose eyes are like the bee in the bud. Joining us not in the cool water, Will you still be lying abed, my lady dear? On this holy day
Have done with your tricky ways, El Or, Our Lady. 14. In the pond amid the garden in your backyard
The red water-lily has opened its mouth, and the ambal has begun to close. Even the penitents, with their teeth clear white, 18 their garments coloured red with ochre, Are going to do worship in their holy temple. Ah, you madam, who promised to wake us first, Ah, you shameless one so ready with words, get up. Let us sing to the Lotus-eyed who with stout hands
Upholds the conch-shell and the war-quoit. El Or, Our Lady. 15. "Oho, young parrot, are you still asleep?"
"Oh do not scream so, girls, I am coming." "Sly one I, we know your promises and talk of old." "You are good at talk yourselves ; let me be that." "Be quick and come, what else have you to do?" " Have all come?" "Yes, come and yourself count," “They have all come to sing of Him who killed the strong elephant, who is strong
To overthrow and destroy His foes, the Great Enchanter." El Or, Our Lady. 16. O guardian of the mansion of Nandag pan, our liege-lord,
O guardian of the festooned portico under the flagstaff,
Draw back the bolt of the bejewelled door. • 10 This expression refers to the habitually white teeth of the mendicant oelebates, as opposed to other men whose teeth require to be cleaned because of the use of betel, oto. Mendicants are forbidden tho use of this. Hence the name bhadanta for certain classes of these from this peculiarity.
