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OCTOBER, 1926 ]
TWO TAMIL HYMNS FOR THE MARGAZHI FESTIVAL
- 189
16. Rain-cloud that first drainest the sea, then risest up
Gleaming like Her, our Owner, glittering and shining Like the slender waist of Her who holdeth us as thralls, Tinkling like the golden, lovely anklet on the Queen's foot, Bearing a bow like Her sacred eyebrow, pour thou forth Rain like the sweet grace which she our Mother, She who holdeth us as thralls, Showereth down upon us all, mindful of those
Who love Our Lord, the King who never is apart from Her. El Or, Our Lady. 17. Such delight as He in us findeth is not in the Red-eyed One,
Nor in Him who faceth the quarters, nor in the Gods, nor elsewhere. Thou lovely one whose black locks absorb perfume ! Singing of Him, who exalted us, Who arriving here in His grace in all our homes, In grace tendereth the ruddy lotus of His golden foot, The King of the gracious look, the ambrosia precious to us slaves, Our Princo ; plunge in the fair and shining water, Bestrewn with lotus blooms, and bathe. El Or, Our Lady.
18. The sun hath arisen with his effulgent beams and hath hidden himself behind a dark
cloud ; The stars are passing out of sight having lost their light thereby; As the bright gems in the crowns of the Gods lose their lustre When they come to worship at the feet of the Lord of Annamalai ; As Male, as Female, as Neither, as Heaven filled with glowing light, As Earth, as something different from these, As visible Ambrosia, He standeth. Sing his anklet, O maiden, and spring into the flowery flood and bathe. El Or, Our Lady.
19. "The child in Thy hand, in Thee hath its refuge".
In fear as we renew that old saying 0, Lord of us all, let us but ask this one boon of thee. Listen to our prayer. Let our breasts be never for those that love Thee not. Let our hands do no work not of service unto Thee. By night and by day let our eyes see naught but Thee. If thou but grant this to us, O Lord ! What mattereth it to us where the Sun riseth. El Or, our Lady.
20. Hail! May Thy foot-blossom which is the Beginning, be gracious.
Hail! May Thy rosy, tender (feet) which are the End, be gracious.. Hait! The golden foot which is the source of all life. Hail! The flowery anklets which are the Bliss of all things living. Hail! The twin feet which are the Goal of life to all that live. Hail! The lotus which even Mâl and the Four-faced could not see.. Hail! The golden blossoms which graciously accept our service, give us life. Hail! May we bathe in Margali. El Or, our Lady.
Supplementary Note. This festival seems to be an old time ceremony observed by the people of India generally. There is a description of the ceremony, at least a few essential details of it, in Book X, chapter 22 of the Bhagavata Purana. According to this the ceremony was performed during the
