Malayan Literature | Page 3

bird,
Soared in the air, and ravaged all the land.
It flew
with wings and talons wide outstretched,
With cries to terrify the
stoutest heart.
All people, great and small, were seized with dread,

And all the country feared and was oppressed,
And people ran now
this way and now that.
The folk approached the King. He heard the
noise
As of a fray, and, angry, asked the guard,
"Whence comes this
noise?" As soon as this he said
One of his body-guard replied with

awe,
"Illustrious lord, most merciful of kings,
A fell garouda
follows us about."
The King's face paled when these dread words be
heard.
The officers arose and beat their breasts.
The sorrow of the
King was greater still
Because the Queen was ill. He took her hand

And started without food or anything.
He trusted all to God, who
watches o'er
The safety of the world. The suff'ring Queen
Spoke not
a word and walked along in tears.
They went by far campongs and
dreary fields
Beneath a burning sun which overwhelmed
Their
strength. And so the lovely Queen's fair face
From palest yellow grew
quite black. The prince
Approached the desert with his body torn

By thorns and brambles. All his care and grief
Were doubled when he
saw his lovely wife
Who scarce could drag herself along and whom

He had to lead. Most desolate was he,
Turning his mind on the
good Queen's sad lot.
Upon the way he gave up all to her.
Two
months they journeyed and one day they came
Unto a campong of a
merchant, where
They looked for rest because the Queen was weak.

The path was rugged and the way was hard.
The prince made halt
before the palisades,
For God had made him stop and rest awhile.

The Sultan said: "What is this campong here?
I fain would enter, but I
do not dare."
The good Queen wept and said: "O my beloved,
What
shall I say? I am so tired and weak
I cannot journey more." The King
was quite
Beside himself and fainted where he sat.
But on they
journeyed to the riverside,
Stopping at every step.
And when the King
Had gained the bank he saw a little boat
With
roof of bent bamboos and kadjang
screen.
Then to the Queen, "Rest
here, my precious one."
The silver moon was at the full, but veiled

With clouds, like to a maid who hides her face
And glances toward
her lover timidly.
Then there was born a daughter, like a flower,

More beautiful than statue of pure gold,
Just like the tulips that the
princess plucked.
The mother's heart was broken at the thought

That she must leave the babe, the child beloved
They both adored,
such beauty it presaged.
The King with tears exclaimed, "How can

we take
The infant with us o'er this stony road
Beset with thorns,
and burned with dreadful heat?
Pearl of my palace," said he to the
Queen,
"Weep not so bitterly about the child.
An offering let us
make of her to God.
God grant she may be found by loving hearts

Who'll care for her and raise her in their home."
As soon as they had
quite determined there
To leave the infant princess, their great grief

No limit knew. But ere they went away
The King took up the infant
in his arms
And rocked her on his knees until she slept.
"Sleep on,
heart's love, my soul, my little one,
Weep not for thy dear mother's lot.
She fain
Would take thee with her, but the way is hard.
Sleep on,
dear child, the apple of my eye,
The image of thy sire. Stay here, fear
not.
For unto God we trust thee, Lord of all.
Sleep on, my child,
chief jewel of my crown,
And let thy father go. To look at thee

Doth pierce my heart as by a poniard's blow.
Ah, sweet my child,
dear, tender little one,
Thy father loves yet leaves thee. Happy be,

And may no harm come nigh thee. Fare thee well."
The little princess
slept, lulled by his voice.
He put her from his knees and placed her on

A finely woven cloth of Ind, and covered her
With satin webbed
with gold. With flowing tears
The mother wrapped her in a tissue fine

Adorned with jewels like to sculptured flowers.
She seized the
child and weeping murmured low:
"O dearest child, my pretty little
girl!
I leave thee to the Master of the world.
Live happily, although
thy mother goes
And leaves thee here. Ah, sad thy mother's lot!
Thy
father forces her to quit thee now.
She would prefer with thee to stay,
but, no!
Thy father bids her go. And that is why
Thy mother's fond
heart breaks, she loves thee so,
And yet must leave thee. Oh, how can
I live?"

The mother fainted, and the grieving King
Was fain to kill
himself, so was he moved.
He took the Queen's head on his knees.
And soon
By God's decree and ever-sheltering grace
She to her
senses came and stood erect.
Again she wept on looking at the child.

"If I should never see thee more, sweet soul,
Oh, may thy mother
share thy fate! Her life
Is bound to thine. The light is gone from out

Thy mother's eyes. Hope dies within her heart
Because she fears to

see thee nevermore.
Oh, may